Playing the tune of angels song...

It's that season!

2011-12-07T21:02:00.001-08:00

whas good yall,

dang, where to begin...

since my last post, it's been a crazy season thus far~ thanksgiving was awesome as we started the morning preparing some care-packages for those in need as just a token of how we were able to serve the community!

brother Elliot doin his thang in the subway

thought this was an interesting take...

caption would run something like

"two worlds collide"

question is.. which worlds???? hmmmm ;P

Turkey Bowl 2011!

(Yugun & his championship belt, lol wow

Turkey Bowl Champs!!

HOORAHH! :D

went to my aunts place as usual afterwards... ain't a thanksgiving w/o some kimchi~

nam sayinnnn :D

this was round 3 for thanksgiving dinners!!

thx Jina for hosting after Turkey bowl!! :D

no joke....

round 4....

finished my student-teaching @ Newcomers HS this week!!

Christopher Gill is an amazing Social Studies teacher and
as much of pain i probably was to him,

i learned alot from the dude~ thanx for everything Chris! :D

Some of the students

(will miss yall!)

man, i probably say this every year but this year has already come & gone so quickly...

it's December already & i'm ready for 2012~ even if Christ actually does come in 2012!! o_O
i'm excited about all the new chapters God is writing and seeing His hand work so magnificently in my life and the people/communities around me!
les do this fam

it's that time of the season yall~ i'm excited :)

JPeaceout*

Discipleship: Extreme or Expected?

2011-11-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was great~ !

had an awesome time with Agape Mission Church @ Keswick (one of the best retreat centers yet)
& i'm blessed to have shared those moments with the fam, suchas this:

(during our morning devotionals... :D)

as u can probably tell, my sleep schedule has been altered and Monday started @ 11 AM for me... -__-;;

the guest speaker Pastor Isaac spoke on discipleship, which has been an ongoing theme for AMC these past couple of months.

every Christian asks themselves, "Is discipleship an extreme or expected aspect of Christianity?",

what this means to me.... is the question, "does being a follower of Christ require deep sacrifices/decisions or not?"

and i would say, "of course!"

to me, it's both extreme and expected~

as C.S. Lewis states:

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance,

and if true, of infinite importance.

The only thing it cannot be is moderately important"

as followers of Christ, we are called to make the hard decisions for God and make sacrifices and even suffer for Him,

"However, if you suffer as a Christian,

do not be ashamed,

but praise God that you bear that name."

1 Peter 4:16

what an awesome truth.

being a disciple of Christ goes beyond checking off the title "Christian" on a census religion question,

but actively being fed the world-changing word of God and applying it into a world that needs change... whether it's your own world or someone else's.

discipleship is both extreme & expected, do something about it.

Tribute to Sam Balmores

2011-11-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

this past weekend, i found out my friend and brother in Christ drowned @ Lingayen beach, Philippines, trying to save another friend, Ate Weng, who also drowned from massive waves.

when my sister in Christ Mel called me @ 1 in the morning, to tell me the news, i was pretty much stricken with disbelief...or shock, grief...just super sad.

once i heard the news i really didn't know what else to do but pray.

i've lost loved ones such as my grandma this past year, but never really a friend....

i served w Sam during the Philippines mission in 2010, planting EMC Dagupan... and this unique dude, served and dedicated his life to the Lord which transcended to his ministries and his communities... definitely loved. and both Ate Weng & Sam will be sincerely missed.

he was a seminary student & Pastor Ferdinand's eldest son, the head pastor for EMC Dagupan.

28 years old. man... had so much in store for him...so gifted.

i know that whether he lived or died, he'd want God to b glorified

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

whohave been called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28

we are already planning for our 2012 Philippines mission & it's still so surreal to know that they are not gunna b there with us.
nonetheless, there's peace & joy to know they are with God and one day, we'll see them again :)

God bless u Kapatid, u da man. ty for everything ....

@ a worship service with Sam & i :)

the church does not have much funds to prepare a proper burial and we are taking up donations & offerings for anyone who{d like to contribute, otherwise please keep the families & friends in prayer! ty

(there is a paypal setup on this page if u would like to send donations to the church!)

here is a link to a blog dedicated to EMC Philippines,
http://emcphilny.blogspot.com/

October is ober

2011-10-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Scott is the artist of the week y'all,

powerful irish female vineyard worship leader, das wsup.

ne how,

October has been a pretty eventful month~ actually blogged once every week atleast ;)
hope to regularly do so~

went to Max Brenner the other night w a "special friend"
Happy Birthday Mandy! ;D
they decided to stick a candle in a piece of chocolate for her... how sweet & stingy of them......

place was dumb expensive, but good experience overall~ their fondue's are a must have :)

this past week actually has been a blessed one...

although there is still so much ahead of me, i feel as if today has so many things i can walk away with by itself....

recently ive been tremendously blessed and stressed with my church.... but its a good kinda stress...

the kinda burden u wana carry not only for your family in Christ, but for God.

not carry God's burden kinda burden, but a holy type burden, whereas instead of feeling overwhelmed by the journey, ur overwhelmed by the blessing of the journey... even with all that baggage.

As a Christian there's so much to learn...

so many times we try to meet God by our own means.... but u come to realize its end sooner than we'd hope.

& the truth that God comes to meet u... or the bigger truth of how God already came to meet us, on the cross, through Christ.... smacks u like a brick wall.

the song rings truth....

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood."

as a korean pastor who sounds jamaican when saying this likes to say,

"be killin sin or sin be killin u (mon)"

werd.

JPeaceOut

"Good Company"

2011-10-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

"How good & pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!"

Psalm 133:1

my brothers Bruce & Alex, have been staying over for the past couple of weeks,

moreso the weekends than weekdays,

but Bruce attends QC w me and Alex lives in Brooklyn and sleeps over during the weekends cuz he attends EMC which is located in Oakland Gardens, Bayside. (http://ebenezermc.com/)

we've all played shows together or worship sets, conferences, revivals, etc...

i'm blessed to be in good company :)

& of course i don't mind them staying over, as long as they keep the steak comin & house clean! lol

they've been awesome in cooking for me & my roommates and stocking up our frig @ times, can't complain ;)

our korean brother from Uzbekistan

cooking us some Russian omeletes~holla! :D

(btw, yall ever try Russian ketchup? offdahook! :)

there company has definitely blessed me in ways i wouldn't have expected...

we've been able to hold each other accountable in terms of studying & being good stewards of our studies and also our health!

Bruce & Alex are really fit & healthy people and they & Enrique encourage healthier eating habits & exercise.... but nonetheless my laziness gets in the way more than i'd like... T__T (u could preach witdat huh)

one thing id hope we be able to do is hold ea other more accountable spiritually.

will b praying that God uses our time together in a redemptive & sanctified manner~ afterall, we won't have too many moments like this left so i will do what i can to cherish it =)

ne how, das it for now, till next time fam ;)

stay blessed and stay fresh!

JPeaceout! ;)

_________________________________________

Chris Tomlin new single:
"How Great is Our God (World Edition)"
Hindi, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Zulu, Africans, Mandarin

epic...

I am Second...

2011-10-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

so i stumbled upon this site called, "I Am Second" cause ma man Lecrae was on it and was instantly hooked~
with its aesthetic & sleek designs and films, not to mention its Christ centeredness and mission to encourage those who struggle ~ i've become a fan of this movement !

athletes such as Sam Bradford & Tony Dungy,
actors such as Stephen Baldwin & Alex Kendrick,
musicians such as Jason Castro & Lecrae,
politicians such as Mike Huckabee,
and everyday ppl like u & me sharing their stories of how Christ became first, pretty awesome.

lotta things have happened this past week and it feels like this semester is in full cycle now...

with papers and midterms rolling in, planning and meetings for church, and soon my work....sigh*

easily overwhelmed but staying confident and pray'd up cause i kno God got ma back~

either way, here r some photos of my week :)

__________________________________________________

My roommate Curtis' BDAY

(we surprised him w some ice cream cake and Rosa's pizza after a hard days work, yall knoooo)

here's my silly sister on her birthday this past week~ o_O

Amanda & I on her birthday :)
(finally got her that pillow pet she literally dreamsss abouttt)

__________________________________________________________________

just for laughs :D

a video made on my spare time...

October October

2011-10-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

Song of the Week!

Jamie Grace ft. TobyMac - Hold Me

AHHH IT'S ALREADY OCTOBER!! O_o

(Happy birthday Chunkit ;D)

it's been an eventful and victorious week thus far & i'm praying God would keep me in a positive and productive state-of-mind...

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward

in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13b-14

werd

"The Way" was awesome and it was really a blessing and encouraging to see random ppl fervently praying and worshipping God!

for our first prayer/praise night we were excited to see about 40-50 ppl in a sanctuary that fits 700+ because our usual Friday night discipleship classes avg 10 ppl!

so we're sitting there like, "where'd all these ppl come from?"

it's not so surprising when we realize that prayer brings friends, family, & even strangers together~

it's a universal component that ppl from different walks of life understand, or do they?

we're only hoping, expecting, & praying for God to do His thang and for us to b faithful servants & we know God will continually fill those seats~

we were also excited to see 44 ppl in our first service/transition into the main sanctuary this past Sunday!! i thought the change would be too drastic or unnecessary due to the limited amt of ppl, but it was actually refreshing & very...spacious... hopefully all that space encourages hearts to worship bit more freely :)

either way, i have a long week ahead of me...

beginning my student-teaching @ Newcomers H.S. which is apparently #6 according to the U.S. News Report of 100 Top Gold Medal Schools, whereas Stuyvesant is #31 & Townsend Harris #33, go figure -_-;;

http://education.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-high-schools/rankings/gold-medal-list

hope everyone has a great week as well :)

till next time,

JPeaceOut

The Way

2011-09-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

"Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays."

_________________________________

Last Friday of every month AMC/KCPCQ will be hosting a prayer/praise night @ 7pm!!!

dinner will be served @ 6:30 pm

please join us if ur around the neighborhood! :)

church website

http://agapemissionchapel.org/index.html

fb event pg
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120698451366826

also starting from this coming Sunday, Oct 2nd, we will be having service in the main sanctuary which fits 700+ ppl (dream big! :D)

and it will also be the first Sunday i've become the official worship leader

it's definitely been a while since i've began leading worship on Sundays and only hope & pray that God would keep me humble and hungry for him.

i'm excited for these friday night prayer/praise nights that we're calling "the Way"modeled after the early Christians who were called "The Way" (Acts 9, 19, 22)

i'm expecting God to move at these prayer meetings and for peoples lives to be changed... it changed mine 6 years ago.

_________________________________

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

James 5:16

"pray without ceasing"

1 The 5:17

____________________________________________________________________

Chris Tomlin - I Lift My Hands to Believe Again (2011)

September September

2011-09-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

seems i've been only posting once a month =\

will do what i can to post more frequently

my friend, now brother in Christ, JACK in the above picture to the left accepted Christ not too long ago & the EMC family & friends have been psyched! ya gotta believe me when i say, that only an act of God couldve changed this brothas heart!

i roomed with him for a few months and he didnt really want nething to do with Christianity, by the time i moved out... he supported me on my missions trip that summer which i was very moved by....

someone who doesn't even believe in God would support someone who does~ i'd only encourage Christians out there to follow the exemplary heart of Christ for both jews & gentiles, & go beyond judging or condemnation.... but "love covers a multitude of sins"

i found some pictures that i thought id post,

sega genesis on mac, epic.

these are pictures of my roommates @ Enrique's photoshoot @ Kissena park

has ne1 ever heard of this game?

Settlers of Catan?

played for the first time not too long ago, pretty fun game, but gosh long.

this is Pastor Stephen holdin down his table @ the college fair KCPCQ had,

(don't be fooled by the treats and welch's)

acclaimed golfer & Stanford student, Michelle Wie,

came thru to the college fair as well, she is super tall (6'1)

had a great opportunity to c my cousin get married!

prayin that God would continually bless Stephen & Cara :)

Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Jo! :D

well nothing else much to write, been trying to keep busy & keep up w ma studies until i begin teaching @ Newcomers High School in October!

God has been putting alot of things on my heart that i can't quite yet share now or here.... but in time =)

stay blessed y'all

JPeaceout!

passion 2012 ne1?

"Transitions"

2011-08-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

this was a shot taken @ Basileia 2011 that i took w my camera phone (not bad eh? :)

we laid down our crowns b4 the throne of grace and written inside were the things that were holding us back from doing so.... (apologies to the privacy of this person)

but i felt that this was a great depiction of what everyday looks like for me.....

in this new season of transitions, i'm constantly learning to give things away to God and for God, ultimately for His glory.

my last Sunday @ EMC was about 2 Sundays ago and it was of course, bittersweet.
my EMC family will always be taken w me wherever i go, how could we separate? i live with 2 EMCers..... HA!

i shared a song i'd written 2 days prior to its debut called, "Epitome", which spoke about the things in this world u can or can not control, but nonetheless our God is the epitome of everything, not ourselves.

& so we exist for greater things than ourselves...

this past weekend, i invited the NWB to come over to my humble yet cozy place...
the NWB have always had a special place in my heart, and these guys have done so much to make my experience @ Ebenezer a blessing... including a thick skin!
they will always have a special place in my heart :)

2009

2011

a 2010 photo will come soon, but not here right now.....

ne how,

my new family Agape Mission Chapel, AMC.... go figure.... EMC to AMC -__-;;

we recently had a revival night on the 19th, August... & it was truly an amazing night of worship

and i was super happy my EMC family came to join me :)

i was able to grow relationships & bonds w the worship & leadership team, & enjoy some MAPO GALBI wit em, probably one of the best Galbi's ive tasted, its' that serious!

i am truly anticipating how God will move in this next season w AMC,

for God's glory, les do this!

so many transitions happening in my life right now, it's ridiculous.
i'm having trouble carrying different burdens, preparing for a new season, school, work, family, girlfriend....

this is Amanda, my girlfriend for alittle over 2 years~

we've been through ups and downs and she has been such a blessing and example of God's love and provision in my life!

im unworthy....

we decided we'll b parting ways (for now) to focus on our relationship w God & the ministries He's placed us to serve in, whether church, campus, school or family...

she was my first relationship after coming to Christ & she has spurred me on to claim the man of God He's prepared(ing) me to be, & i can only be thankful & humbled.

TE QUIERO MUCHO JAGITTA! :D

this last pensive picture of serenity was taken w my brothers in DR... it reminds me of new beginnings and a hopeful future.... ready for what the world has to throw @ me....

i know in the midst of storms, the anchor that holds is the wisdom of the cross....

"In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart!

I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Small Change Big Change

2011-07-30T22:23:00.001-07:00

haven't really updated here but nonetheless i'm still makin moves and God is moving even more as life progresses!

started another blog with my brother Bruce called "smallchangebigchange.blogspot.com" and it's vision is, "to connect the people of New York City in building God's kingdom in different parts of the world"..... show some love ya'll =)

the blog and subway ministry has been a blessing and we've just arrived back from Santo Domingo, helping build the churches, relationships and communities....

will be updating but am super fatigued and overwhelmed....

God is so good

"A SU NOMBRE!!!!" :D

Challenge 2011: Cross It Out

2011-07-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

.... was awesome!

it was great to see familiar Challenge campers and new campers this year~

the atmosphere was explosive and God's spirit effervescent~

already a week has passed and i'm praying God's children stick w their commitments and remain in a posture of humility and a continual hunger for God!

it really isnt ez breezy, but God promises bigger things upon faith

i look forward to Challenge every year and i kno God is going to continue to bless Challenge and all the prayer and hard work that goes into it...

"do hard things, Cross it Out..."

_______________________________________________________________

Worship was annointed!

Pastor Tom was doing his thang

Recreation was fun(ny)! :D

great company :)

short clip of Challenge Camp '11

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"
Phi 4:13

Basileia 2011 : The Aftermath

2011-06-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

"The vitality of any movement is measured by it's momentum"

coming back from Basileia not too long ago and hearing this the other day got me thinkin....

i've been to many retreats, revivals, conferences, getaways, missions trips, etc... and the warning after any spiritual retreat is to rely on it's euphoric sensation of a spiritual high to maintain your spiritual walk with God.

i've been on enough routine "retreats" to callously say they've become ineffective.

but i can also say the same about my life outside of these retreats, "routine"... purposeless & simplistic... no joy.

or i can look @ it in a Christlike perspective....

the opportunity to spend countless hours w God in prayer and desire to hear His voice did not come void.

the day i came back from Basi was the day i came back w a fresh perspective and fresh commitments...

i understand so many empty & broken promises have been made on my part... and so i asked God for something bigger than my problems.. and my expectations that ill come out of this with a clean slate or w all my problems fixed or a "holier than thou" mentality/facade....

i asked God to give me more faith... to help me w my unbelief.

a simple yet dense truth that every struggling believer may lack.... faith.

as Hebrews 11:6 says, "without faith, it is impossible to please God."

so here i stand, with arms high and heart abandoned...

i lift my hands to believe again... in surrender.

_________________________________________________

It was an honor and blessing to serve on the worship team again this year..... a struggling yet edifying experience!~ God continues to mold me to become a humble worship leader and provides different platforms to do so.

there is no greater joy than knowing Him & to serve Him, don't let any1 tell u different.

Glory to God!

_________________________________________________

yours truly, B^2 (B Squared, duh! :)

awesome food!

me enjoying awesome food :P yum

the boy band look..attempt.

evil people.

every year the worship team hosts "FUN NIGHT" dedicating a night to games and fellowship. We began producing videos/promos/goofs to start it off, this was our silly video for this year~ mad props to staff and to B^2~ HAHAAA! :D

"Freedom"

2011-05-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,

which comes from the Lord,

who is the Spirit."

2Cor 3:17-18

freedom... a recent theme these past weeks

academic freedom

physical freedom

spiritual freedom

this semester has been a strenuous and arduous semester... i get weary just thinking about it..... the only thing i can do, is to lift my hands to believe again....surrender to trust & give to the Lord... everything.

the idea of bondage in our lives is very real and tangible in many ways, and in many of our lives.... sometimes w.o. us knowing it.

from academic to church to media to friends~ our loyalty and addiction can b easily spread throughout our lives and Jesus has the leftovers.

the hardships of our lives blur the image of God and we step further away instead of stepping closer....why?

does the world taste better?

does the world fulfill ur desires?

does the world create purpose?

will the world last forever? or will u be in this world forever?

and the latter poses...

does God taste good?

does God fulfill ur inner desires?

does God give u purpose?

will God last forever? will u b with God forever?

this upcoming week @ Basileia 2011, these are some questions i want to pray over.... and experience and definitively, assuredly, resoundingly say YESSS!!!!

God created me and so He knows and has given me my desires for a reason!!! to glorify Him.......

i've been @ Basileia since 2006 and it has been an amazing journey~ every year has encouraged me not only as a student, friend, brother, son, employee... but really as a child of God~ this is my identity above all... and i can say.... i am free to say..... I KNOW WHO I AM!!!!

i know this blog is a bit everywhere~ but i'm really excited for this next week....

Basileia has filled my life with joy and faith, & every year i look fwd to meeting God here... in the quiet, in the stillness.... He's spoken to me in different ways and in power here, and i know He's going to do the same this year...

bcuz whether i'm here or not here.... God will still move... but my prayer is that while i'm here..... i'd learn to hear God's voice just a bit more, experience God that much more, see God move in the lives of my brothers and sisters in NYC and beyond.... that much more... is worth it.

i've been given the opportunity to serve on the worship team here and it's truly a blessing to serve my fam in Christ and i wouldn't miss it for the world~ praise God :)

during my time here, i also plan to pray for different people in my life and situations....

i really feel God is pressing certain ppl in my life....

and most likely, it's the people reading this blog =)

c u when i get back guys~ keep me in prayer as i will for u

w/ much love,

JP ;)

______________________________________________

a Basileia classic

Holy Spirit Come - Kate Miner

Academic Satire!

2011-05-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

as i lay rest @ the computer lab workin on papers & notes, i c the academic/spiritual satire of my friend, "Sufferin' Student".......

it's been tough keeping up w the blogs, but it's always on the back of my mind and until i've written something for the cyber world, i can not lay rest in peace.

As the semester comes to a close, it's crunch time.

With Nowitzki in the west and Wade in the east to show me how it's done in the clutch, i'm confident that God will pull me through these next upcoming weeks! les go! (this sentence will only make sense to those who are following the playoffs, if not, just move on ;)

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free."

Eph 6:7-8

Camp Deer Park

2011-04-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Had an amazing time @ Camp Deer Park with EMC fam these past few days~

we meditated and gave thanks for the events following up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday and will continue to do so with faith and power and in celebration!

praying that during our time of retreat~ we were able to rekindle fires and relationships so that we may advance the Kingdom of God

as a brother of mine writes,

"As a noun, the definition of a retreat is a period of seclusion for the purposes of of prayer and meditation."

amen.

big ups to Rebekah Hwang for the pictures! :)

Christian Souljah

2011-04-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
2 Tim 2:3

Last night was the last class for Discipleship 10 in "the School of Pastor Jae"
32 loonng weeks and from 5 to 3 strong in the end,

Kudos to my sisters Linda and Sarah and Pastor Jae for stickin it thru, even amongst our busy schedules, spiritual wavers, physical inabilities, bipolar weather, and bi polar ppl... WE DID IT!

and of course,

it's an end to a striving beginning.... & as good soldiers of Christ Jesus, we strive everyday to be His disciples...... keep running strong, fixing our eyes on the author of our salvation...

"...which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments hang all the Law..."
Matthew 22:36-40

talk about sharing the love

talk about living love....

talk about unconditional love...

March Madness

2011-03-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

That's how i feel right about now!
it's a shout of victory if u weren't able to tell the difference!

finished my series of examinations this month and get to breathe for just a little bit these next days~

My schedule has been piling up and my faith is really being put to the test~
i came across a quote the other day from my sister in Christ that read,

"Feed your faith, so doubt will starve to death"

so tru so tru

with life zoomin by i easily forget why i'm doing all this, why this is all important and significant in my life... what's the point..purpose?

"Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee."

das werd.

everything i am is because of Him,
everything i do is because of Him,
everything that happens is not w/o a purpose
even the struggles...

a verse i've been reflecting on in my time of solace....

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2 Tim 4:7

let's run this race and finish strong fam,

life is short and eternity starts now....

________________________________________

EMC/New Wave @ United Concert

"Feed500"

2011-03-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

since my last blog,

New Wave Ski Retreat happened, Feed500 happened, bible study @ Pastor Stephen's happened, and now, i'm waiting to go to the UNITED concert on the 10th!~

school has been catching up as well~

working w. CHAMPION has been a blessing as well in it's own unique & weary way...

one of the students i "graduated" is coming to EMC w me this Sunday which is exciting!

Dominican catholic John Bowne student, who recently moved from Florida seeking community w aspirations in becoming an actor~

Praying he'd find purpose in his relationship w Christ to send him to new heights and adventures!

do yo thang God =)

my old friend Annie also came and visited my place w a whole bunch of other great friends i havent seen for a while =)

ne how,

i think one thing that stood out this week was my time @ Feed500'0'... going into Harlem with my team - Kenny, Aaron, & Marissa

some of us came back from a homeless missions in D.C., APPA, and it was still hard for some of us to approach some homeless or better yet finding them!

i was proud and encouraged to see the New Wave reaching out and praying it wouldn't happen only through programs like the NYC Urban Project (NYCUP), but in our everyday lives...

God calls us to care for the poor and needy and to "act justly, love mercy and walk humbly" w Him

something that stuck w me was the fact that poverty & homelessness can end in our generation...... think about it.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners..."

"Fresh View Of The Cross"

2011-02-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

sitting here 1 in the morning, sippin on Strawberry Milkis, tired from a long day...

but filled with a fresh view of the cross!

caught the 8pm service @ Hillsong NYC w/ an awesome group of brothers and sister~

up until the final point of the sermon i was convicted and encouraged to let off the chains of self-sufficiency and then his last point did it for me~ i was blown away by the driving point of his msg and encouragement to us all~

talking about letting loose our chains of discouragement and indifference~to not judge and live a faith with love not condemnation... and then he tells us that the only thing that can motivate, compel, to bring life to dry bones..... was to keep a fresh view of the cross daily!

it was a refreshing word~ it was a timely word...

Christians these days need a fresh view of the cross and let off these chains that say the cross of Christ only applies to those who are ready. no one is ready, that's the point of the cross... to meet us in places only the blood of Christ can save us from, to break chains that only the power of God can let loose...

"Lord let us be a generation that seeks your face and sees the center piece of the cross in this crazy mosaic of our lives"

all of us came out needing to catch a breather and just overwhelmed by the Spirit of God that was running so thick in the atmosphere and in the people.

afterwards we went to one of my favorite pizzeria's, if not, the best pizzeria! Rosa's =)

i also bought tickets to the MArch 10th UNITED concert for me and my New Wave Band @ EMC, i can't wait to go with the NWB~ i'm excited to c how God will move in our lives that night!

HOLLA! =)

i was so encouraged to c my friends worship God and even our friend that Curtis invited~ it was amazing =)

the highlight of the night for me was when i met Joel Houston!

this guy has been an inspiration and role model for me as a worship leader and a Christian~ man.... kick 1 in the bucket list!

my friends said i was like a little kid overjoyed in finally getting to meet his hero~

JEsus paved the way, thank u God for blessing me with unspeakable joy and ur undeserved favor!still can't believe i got a picture w da dude, praise God! lol

ne way,

the next couple of days i'll be away with the New Wave and friends on our annual Ski/Snowboard Retreat~ i can't wait! =)
will keep u posted

sigh* i need some rest....

"thank You God for being such a good God... even when i really don't deserve your favor. There's no one else i'd rather live for, then the 1 who gave me life and the 1 who knows how my heart beats...you are amazinngg"

-JPeaceout

Birthday Love

2011-02-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

what a crazy weekend!

i was debating whether i should plan a celebration for my birthday or not~ but i was tired and the older you get, the less likely you're to celebrate how old you really are!

although i may not consider myself "old", even though how many of my beloved New Wave and Mario remind me, i consider right now to be my prime!

let's b optimistic here right?! =)

i'm a bachelor, i'm a student, i'm a teacher, i'm a musician, i'm a singer, i'm athletic (occasional joint aches), i still have my hair! (my 5 uncles are all bald incl my dad....), i still have pimples, i'm a historian, i'm a child of God...i'm young! ;D lol, and this blog will remind me throughout the year!

ne how,

this year i wanted to keep to myself and bless the Lord bcuz lets face it.... God has done so much for me that i couldn't or shouldn't ask for more.

when it turned 12 am my roommates or roommate Curtis and friend Victor who was spending the night, surprised me w a heart shaped ice cream cake and we celebrated together~ lol, i was very blessed and touched by that~ something small can go a long way =)

honestly that was all i was really expecting this year and i would've been content w it~

i was really looking forward to going to the "Don't Walk By" homeless event in NYC but the Lord closed that door and then i wanted to go around the community and shovel with my NWB but the Lord closed that door as well~

it seemed as much as i wanted to give to the Lord on my birthday, He wanted me to receive his blessings and grace all the more.

after coordinating the band meet @ 10 AM in the morning and ending the meet around 2, they arranged a small and warm celebration that i really had no idea about! awesome job guys lol

notice the melted wax from the candles that were prematurely lit! some have completely dissipated into the cake lol

due to my 3-5pm shift i had to leave early and so Easter asks me if i will come back~ to which i replied, "do i have a reason to EAsterrrr??" and she tells me she has some cupcakes or some kind of baking she's doing for me, as she does so well ;)

as P.Sang and Sarah drive me to Queens Blvd. PSang basically blows every1s spot and "accidentally" tells me to act surprised!

as i arrived to church @ around 8 pm, i was practicing my surprised look :O

every1 seems to b doing there own thing and i was like "hello". I sat down in the sanctuary and then every1 left... i was like..."okkkk"

and then Enrique asks me to eat w him downstairs and as i walk downstairs all the lights are out and LO AND BEHOLD~ a burst of shouting & screaming to what seemed to be them singing "Happy Birthday"!

i was more overwhelmed then surprised! lol

the food was great, the company was right, and the presence of God was thick!

i was truly blessed for my EMC family esp my New WAve babies lol

afterwards i had gone to a "very special" friends house who is going away to Scotland this Friday to study abroad and as i was leaving she gave me a gift basket/survival basket!! that i loved and was filled with her moms awesome salsa, SPAM, huge bag of tortilla chips and more! lol, what a sweety! gracias carina =)

i was immensely fatigued by the end of the night, but even as i was going home.... the night was not over..... mind u, it's about 1 am.

a bunch of the guys came over and spent the night~ we all slept around 3 am.... let's just say, i woke up to Bruce wearing my hoody as pants!!! (no alcohol involved) it was weird, but funny....

i woke up praising God =)

here's a glimpse of how crazy it got! lol (this pic will b removed soon due to parental discretion)

in all of this i realize that the Lord really does bless and overwhelm His children w provision and grace and mercy and ultimately the blood of His Son through which all of this is possible!

this journey/race called life, is that much more joyous and fulfilling w the Lord guiding each step and year that we're given.

a psalm that reminds me every year that i'm thought about...

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."

Psalms 139:13-14

God is amazing

*JPeaceout =)

Jesus in a Box

2011-02-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

song of the week:

Hillsong Acoustic - This Is Our God

so i saw this @ the store and was like, "WOW, i want 1..."

and u get to thinkin~ why "Jesus in a box" when u can have "Jesus in ur heart"!

forgive my case of Pastoritis, but man, u could preach wit dat!

i remember someone once told me i need to step out of my "Christian bubble", a bit aggravated and offended, i responded, "y? so i can be like u?"

not so crudely of course....

but in regard to my point of this blog,

sometimes i tend to put God in a box and disregard the importance of representing him in my heart~

people judge, Christians judge, people mock, Christians mock, people curse, Christians curse

difference btwn the world and Christians? not much.

This morning, my roommate Curtis and i have committed to spending 10 - 10:30 AM everyday doing bible study and spending that quiet time w God.

Starting our day with the Lord just helps make the day go by that much easier and there's always a lesson or something that God wants us to know each and everyday believe it or not, it is amazing.

As we're going thru Galatians we're seeing people who TWIST and MANIPULATE the gospel the way they want in order to please themselves and everyone else but God, placing "Jesus in a box".

"You are salt of the earth... you are the light of the world"

Matt 5:13-14

Goal of the week- take Jesus out the box (hm, that would make a good song)

some food for thought,

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."

- John 17:13-19

___________________________________________________

Curtis' first deuce ;P

my first chicken! lol yeayuh

(it taste alot better than it looks! lol)

Intervention

2011-01-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

Song of the week:

Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong Live

so i've committed to blog atleast once a week ... or to try.

ive asked if the New WAve Band @ EMC would join me to use this site as a tool and just a place to get our thoughts out there and a way for us to pray and encourage one another, spurring the body of Christ to live daily for a God who intervenes daily.

speaking of intervening... i went to HILLSONG NYC this past Sunday as some of y'all may have noticed.

as i walked in to IRVING PLAZA/THEATER in Union Sq. i honestly wasn't expecting much.

i have some reservations on Hillsong but am a fan of their praise&worship; and felt the congregation would be made up of people who's there for the hype and the music.

as true as that presupposition may have been, i was instantly ushered into the hype as well!!

the worship was authentic, the congregation undignified, the sermon compelling/convicting~ it was a refreshing moment for me and my friends~

most importantly, it was personal.

although i can never see it as my home church, my spirit was rejuvenated and recommitted.

i dont believe in dating the church, but i do believe in supporting other churches and find it beneficial and healthy visiting different types of churches.

We are all part of a whole and called to support the body of Christ in unique yet uniform way.

Hence my visit to Hillsong NYC was simply amazing and refreshing.

God's word had life again...

Pastor Karl Lentz drove a quote that steered his message,

"if you have a passion to intervene on God's behalf, God will intervene on your behalf"

and his msg did hit home for me.... giving me faith to have "a willingness to do whatever it takes, even if it seems unspectacular"... like my school, my work, my encounters, my relationships...

God is bigger than my issues and problems and is always @ work

This past week i went skiing and snowboarding with a cozy group of EMCers whom im honored to call my brothers & friends =)

it was really great and relaxing, we took advantage of it even if our bodies and wallets had to suffer!

we all wokeup sore and broke! lol, well some of us.... but no matter, i think it was worth it.

money can't replace friendships and lifetime experiences, God is good =)

together we were able to conquer mountains and rough terrain.

first timers like Matt Gao "accidentally" went on the craziest hill called BLACK DIAMOND! and although it was the perfect time to panic, i was proud to see him overcome and slowly yet surely slide down that mountain!

another incident that was the talk of the trip was my friend's, Jack, encounter w death!

sliding down a sharp turn he wasn't able to turn quick or hard enough and headed straight for the cliff!

Fortunately, there was a safety fence to break his fall or would b death~ he loudly expressed his relief and gratefulness for the fence! what an intervention!

in the end, it's sorta like how God intervene's for us~ u could put the analogy together =)

life throws sharp turns and w/o intervention, we're not able to overcome the mountains~werd........ =X

ne how,

im excited for Fri worship/prayer at EMC with the New Wave & friends~

prayer=breathing

breathing=life

life=Christ

les do this.

"Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the King" 1 Peter 2:17

JPeaceout.

ThankYou 2010 Good2c u 2011 :)

2011-01-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2010 hello 2011,

i know im a bit late, but did not want to disappoint my diehard fans and due to the blizzardous conditions outside, i have nothing better to do :)

looking @ my last post since September, it's def been a while!

so many things have been going on and so many chapters written, in the year 2010 alone... whatayear!

2010 has been a defining and momentous year for my life as a person, as a Christian and as somebody who is living on this side of eternity making that imprint for God.

"If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord" Romans 14:8

if there's one thing i've learned in 2010, it would be as rudimentary to ne believer....

give glory to God and surrender.

i posted that in my New Year blog for 2010, and for 2011 it still reigns true in my life.... and i know it will still b detrimental till my death.

Although the truth hurts.... giving glory to God in surrender and humbleness are a pursuit for every believer in ne or every walk of life; whether pastor, disciple, or seeker.

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8

that was the verse that i've really come to love and make my life's verse as a follower of Christ during the end of my 2010 year with APPA homeless missions in DC, which was another amazing moment in my life =)

my 2011 theme came from my fasting from Dec 31st into Jan 1st w/ my spiritual family @ EMC. It's funny how no matter how long or mature you think u may be as a Christian, God will humble you.

and this is God telling me to start from the beginning, to grow up.

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good"-1 Peter 2:2-3

2010 @ a glimpse:

Bible Olympics 2010~ LES GO BROWN PHILIPPIANS! :)

23rd

First year snowboardin~loved it, can't wait to go again.holla! :D

New Wave @ 6 flags! :D

Gangstarz @ Fire Island

epic ;)

Basileia Band aka B2 (Ha HAAA)

Challenge 2010 Worship Team

Gala Dinner (Here's to the Night :)

havin some fun @ the Car Wash Fundraisier :P

Philippines Missions 2010!!

NWB Initiation!

EMC Christmas Service

APPA Homeless Missions

My Roommate and good friend/brother CURTIS! :)

Christmas @ Mandy's :)

Appreciation Dinner @ Virgils

Job Well Done! LES GO 2011!

"Brothers sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13-14

JPeaceout.

"i'm not sinless, but i can sin less"

2010-09-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

is what was spoken to me the other night...

realizing how fallen i really am, how much of a sinner i am.... and how much grace i'm under/need...

"we're not sinners because we sin, we sin because we're sinners"

God in His perfect love decided to break that pattern of sin in my life by sacrificing His only loved son... would i do the same? probably not. probably wouldn't know how~

every day, we live by His grace... and everyday His mercies are new, praise the Lord =)

last week i went up to "prayer mountain" with my Discipleship classmates & co =)
it was a blessing and God's voice always becomes that much more audible up there...

that's why i'm going again this Sat =)

also met up w P.Steph and Kev~ love those crazy guys~ "MOO GOO GAI PAN"!

we meet every Thurs to evangelize, getting the gospel in peoples hands... being held accountable to spreading His word and the good news of Christ.

i praise the Lord for crossing our paths, if it weren't for em... i wouldn't be standing here today. GLORY TO GOD =)

and if it weren't for my brothers P.Sang, David and EMC fam, i wouldn't be able to kneel and humble myself before God understanding grace.

God has been so good to me this year, 2010.... what a monumental year.

the Lord has truly provided thus far, here i raise my Ebenezer.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" Eph 2:8

____________________________________________

Song of the Day : "Nothing In This World" by Tim Hughes

Nothing in this world
no treasure man could buy
could take the place of drawing near to you
theres nothing i want more
than to spend my days with you
dwelling in your secret place of praise

and oh how i need i need you
jesus i need you
you are the one that satistifes
you are the one that satisfies

so place within my heart
a fire that burns for you
that waters cannot quench nor wash away
and let that fire blaze
through all eternity
where one day i shall see you face to face

.

Little Moments

2010-07-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

....is the theme of month.... big moments are great, but it's the little moments that get u there.

so what happened since April 27th?

well in short,

Basileia '10 happened

Challenge '10 happened

Philippines Missions '10 happened

Officially in my own place in 2010 happened.

new aspirations, new beginnings, new goals, new bills.....

change. monumental, feeble.

this morning i woke up at 4:30 AM in my new place, and went to Astoria PArk, which is right next to my place.

caught the sunrise, and i sit there reminiscing on His faithfulness...PSalms 77, psalms 119, MAtthew 6, Isaiah 61 rushing through my mind onto the paper.

Philippines fresh on my mind. EMC Dagupan. EMC International. Tita Virgi and fam. Davidtol, Shem, Pastor Ferdi, Youth Explosion, Mayor Lim, wake.....

i miss it so very much

"my guide is reliable and my mission is clear", is what im focusing my mindset to be.

worship in the Philippines w EMC Dagupan was not only free but freeing.

they've taught me so much and showed me even more, what worship in spirit and truth looks like apart from the bondages of being an American or what worship looks like in America.

with nothing to lose and everything to gain whereas in the states it's the opposite.

we hold onto so many materialistic things here in the states its hard to let them go and follow Christ.

financial stability, promotion, position, popularity, etc...

Basileia taught me to let go....

Challenge taught me to give...

Philippines taught me how to receive...how to live.

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

i've had Christians support me, and even non-believers extend love and financial support towards me.... and their investment or giving has not come back void.

as i come back into the states and am bombarded with new challenges, temptations, opportunities... my "mission" becomes more clear.

i was not made for here.

Worship + Justice = purpose/mission.

i don't know how long the Lord will have me here, but until then.... i pray not for success, but for faith....

i'm a servant before i'm a leader...

i'm a sinner before i think i am holier than thou.

i'm loved by a King and so is he/she/them/they.

encouraged by a sister in Christ who was encouraged by the word of God:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go"

_______________________________________________

Basileia Band or as we like to call ourselves, B2. (B Squared) =)

emptied...

Challenge 2010 Worship Team

3 way tug of war!

China Airline food... pretty good.

one of the breakfast, not the best but it did the job.... might've been real...dog?

yellow cab pizza~ amazing pizza!

Beautiful Baguio City (where the krns roll)

Children's Crusade in Tombor

Baptism
Covenant Ceremony (Marriage Ceremony btw EMC New York & EMC Dagupan)

EMC DAGUPAN FAMILY!

Sunday Worship at EMC Dagupan (outdoor church with a tent for shelter during rainy season)

Youth Explosion 7/16/10 @ the Astrodome in Dagupan City

700 souls for an audience of 1.

$0.50 Jeepney, comparable to NY's MTA... but cheaper....and smaller?

weary from the field

$1 Tricycles (cab), get's you from point A to point B, i'm gunna miss these.

LECHON!!! yum =)

classroom evangelism at Luzon University

Philippines Mission Team 2010! we'll meet again! holla

Jehovah Jireh

2010-04-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

blogspot oh blogspot, where fore art thou oh blogspot.

finally finding some time to blog =)

here and there are the provisions of God illuminating and making evident the will of God in my life.

From financial to residential, God has been so good, so great, so amazing and yet, i can never be thankful enough.

working towards my degree in my fortress of solitude, room of enlightenment. =)

many many things happening, not happening.... sympathizing with my dear old Pastor Stephen and King David, "time is fleeting, and man whithers as the grass..." or as he would say "my knees are going man...."

anticipating the summer time and end of my semester.

God will be using me Basilea 2010 on the worship team and for Challenge 2010 as well! exciting times... praying God will keep me focused and humble.

Leading worship at a youth rally @ a Stadium of thousands in the Philippines mission 2010 for the month of July also~ this is crazy.

out of millions, God chooses me. This is crazy.

i'm praying God will keep me bold and confident and unashamed.

which leads me to my last thought.

im praying the Lord will help me be bold enough to be more effective on my campus. To reach out and undignified in pursuit of planting seeds, preaching the gospel, spreading the news, that Jesus is alive!

my prayers and hope is to yell this out and live out loud this statement:

Found among his papers in Zimbabwe after he was martyred

I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.
My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.
I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!
I miss my fake niece.....
Pastor Stephen's DAughter with PAstor Jae's Son
(Faith & Jeremy)
this is prophecy btw. (lol!)

imiss this crazy guy.
(prayin for ya homefry. c u soon... on da courts! =)

"COUPLES LIFE GROUP: VDAY"

Cucitta #1 y yo y Dehbeed (David)

Worship @ Spring Youth Retreat '10
Pictures of my room in College Pt.

Before:
after:
My Closet
First Big Sam Gyp Sal Dinner. holla =)
uhm, This is Jack.
and these are JAck's forsaken fish =(

Some things on my wall =)

this completes my room. =)

with love, peace, and joy.... Glory in the highest. 1

"New Seasons"

2010-02-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

So many past events went down, events goin on, and events about to go down~ haven't had time to blog about it, or in general really.

but i will always find some time to blog something somewhere =)

so to sort of recap of where im at in my life in a blog would be difficult per se... but on my heart lies the trivialities yet significant nonetheless issues of man.... such as moving out, graduation, bible class, worship team, girlfriend.

at my church, EMC, we always have a year's theme, this year deriving from MAtthew 28 on the great commission and "challenge"ing the next generation to reach out, evangelize and make disciples~

at the beginning of 2010 i attended PASSION 2010 conference in ATL, GA, twas SICK~

i went into that conference expecting to be blown away esp by the stardom lineup~ i mean wow!

Tomlin, Redman, Crowder, Fee, United, Stanfill, Charlie etc.....i mean as a worship leader this is a dream lineup~ i was more excited to hear all of them at the same place for a week than i was for John Piper, Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley giving us talks~ and that in itself is still an awesome lineup!

but it hit me on the last night, at the last hour..... not with the 20,000 + students that were there worshipping and lifting the name of Christ... but with just my friend and me.... in the white room, or the prayer room.... summing up what had just happened in the past week and what God has been pressing on our hearts*

a dim white room with candle lighting with enough space to lay down, kneel, bow and accomodate 30 people at the same time along with the aroma of candles burning.... you felt peace, you felt war, you felt like you needed to do something, now.

the best part, was the middle of the room...... all posture focused towards the center, there stood an old rugged cross, beaming in white and in love.....

sometimes i'm consumed by circumstances and surroundings of my life that i forget the center piece of it all, the thing that holds my life together, the one thing that i can be 100% sure of.... the cross of Christ.

if there are things in life that DIMINISH or CHEAPEN the work or the view of the cross of Christ in our lives~

friends.... we gotta get rid of it, do something about it and stop complaining...

this year's theme for me revolves around SURRENDER & GLORY.

that in surrender my decisions, choices, circumstances will always be made or seen in light of eternity and purposed for the GLORY OF GOD!

to God be all praise and honor and to God be the glory....

amen.

"My God is Bigger than Life" musical

DR/HAITI MISSIONS '09

IV BEACH OUTING

COMMON SEED YOUTH DAY '09

IV POST-THANKSGIVING GET-TOGETHER

"We Come With Joy" Winter Musical

New Wave Band w/ Starfield =)

Birthday luv @ EMC

Amanda luv on 23rd =)

here i raise my Ebenezer =)

The New Year

2010-01-02T20:18:00.001-08:00

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13-14

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There's not one thing in my life that does not happen for a reason~

i will praise him when it's hard, and i'll bless him when it's tough~

He gives and takes away, still i will say, blessed be the name of the Lord~

today's thanksgiving with friends was awesome~ praise the Lord. =)

wish i could blog more, which i shall later on, but it's 3 AM right now and im turkeyed out, already.... round 2 later on, praise God~ ;D*

this year, no matter what happens... or doesnt happen..... give thanks and be joyful in our Savior, Christ.

we are more blessed and have more things to b grateful than we know.

"Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Habakkuk 3:17-18

"GOT YO BACK"

2009-10-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

"As recipients of God's mercy, our aim is to reach those whom the world has forgotten. Embracing a call to compassion to love the unloveable, to reach the unreachable, to touch the untouchable."

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." -Philippians 1:27

Past few weeks have been pretty hectic.

finding comfort from the people God's placed in my life =)

tryna "conduct" myself in a "manner worthy of the gospel",

esp when mapops thinks i dont care enough about him and his business.

papadukes was recently discharged from the emergency room and so the house and family business have been crazy.

Finishing up midterms as well, but not yet.

Canceled my service on the Work Crew @ Big Event =\

Father requesting i miss church this weekend to help out at home and work, a bit frustrated... and praying... for sanity.

only highlight this week, was with my cell group tonight~

this EMC men's group has been more than good fellowship, but a great place to pray for each other and "lay our requests before God" (Psalms 5)

sometimes, we just need that group of men/women of God to remind us ....... God got this.

let's stay encouraged and have that heart of urgency to let those perishing know, including our family & loved ones....... that life is short, and we only get one... let's not waste it.

"thank u Father, for having my back"

Romans 8:28-39

Brotherly Love.

"Indescribable"

2009-10-01T20:51:00.001-07:00

PRESS PLAY

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful of comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp you infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depth of your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of you
I stand, I stand in awe of you
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of you.

_________________________________

as NEW WAVE did it up, now is the hard part.... follow-up.

how can we keep the fire going? commitment true? confession genuine?...

"it's not about us, it's about Jesus"

today, we had cell group at my place and watched, "Indescribable" by Louie Giglio.

Gave some crazy numbers and really gave some perspective on how small we really are in comparison to the heavens which declare the glory of God, daily.

and in the midst of all this, in the center of the galaxy is....

who came and died for us...

"what is man that you are mindful of him?

the son of man that you care for him?" -Psalms 8

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

- Romans 5:8

glory to God.

"Common Seed"

2009-09-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

sometimes when u look up in a starlit sky, you marvel and am captured in a momentary freeze of awe.

the shrinking feeling of reality kicks in...

for me at least.... how a God so big, could love a person so small.

in these weeks past, different paths, choices, opportunities, mistakes, heartaches, joys continue to mold me and God is there.... whispering, shouting, instructing, disciplining me.

the life of a Christian isn't easy.... but oh so rewarding.

"Endure hardship with us like a good solider of Christ Jesus." - 2 Tim 2:3

say werd.

This Saturday is "Common Seed", and EMC Youth Day.

Outreach Event.

Here to reach souls, "to seek and save the lost".

stay mission minded. gospel-centered. focused....

oh look.... purty tree.

COME AND SEE COMMON SEEEEDDD!! =)

y'all kno da deal

"New WAve"

2009-08-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

"NNnnnnNNNNnnNeeeeWWw WAaaaAVvEEE"....

....is the chant you hear during our gatherings, get-together's, retreats, & occasionally in the halls of the church.

not really a chant but a holler~ i wanna say a cry that represents unity and identity within the youth of EMC.

Since MArch i've dedicated and have been serving the "New WAve" youth... and it's been fun =)

just came back from a youth camp/outing for 3 days 2 nights, it was fun.

good fellowship, good company, not so good bathrooms...but we still praise Jesus.

but more than a fun experience, i pray that the 15 members of the "New WAve" begin to understand this calling to be a Christian in a world that is not-so-Christian.

"it's not about us.... it's about Jesus"

the world may ridicule us, mock us, curse us, reject us, call us crazy.......... but we gotta understand, they did the same to Jesus..... we're in good company, feel me?

to stand amongst the lines of apostle Paul, Moses, Esther, JEsus, etc... we gotta understand:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

this is to be a life-changing truth in our lives..... hope.

the New Wave is not about.... pride or clicks or biases......

but it's about the new generation.... the youthful generation... the upcoming "clouds of witnesses"...

they have a calling, to b salt and light in a world of bitterness & darkness.

Please pray for a new wave of passionate youth to bring good tidings and the gospel message in which will emanate from their lives!

Les do this~ NNNNnnnnNEEwwwW WAAAVVEeeEEE! =)

camping...

the power of "Velveeta"

holla~

"The Gift of Worship"

2009-08-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

so life has been bz...

summer job has got me on the clock w/ crazy hrs.... next semester already stressing me out... youth retreats to plan.... fellowships to attend.... now that summers coming to an end, preparing for the fall =)

even though i have been lacking sleep.... i enjoy having a schedule!

it helps me to manage not only time but to keep in check my perspective of life, feel me?

the job i work...

the school i attend...

the church i serve...

the city i live in...

the family im in!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

"...be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2b

i pray that daily, that God would give me that Christlike mindset....

to see people as souls, my job as a mission field, to live w/ purpose....... and not fancy the things of the world, but the things of God.

to love the creator, not just the creation.

lately God has been keeping me in check through His people... whether it's my Hunter IV chapter or my EMC fam.... you realize this life with Christ is a win win deal~

from people to places and lifestyle and hobbies... God is not only all around it, but all up inside it... it's an amazing thing really~

when God becomes the center of our worship and lives.... it stops being just... recreation or routine......... but it becomes worship.

my job becomes worship...

my school becomes worship....

my service in church is worship....

"worship is lifestyle" as they say ~

so many things coming up and things happening.... "God keep me going, be my motivation and passion always, that i may never lose sight of this race marked out for us.... u got me, and that's all that matters, werd"

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1

funindasun

"how good & pleasant when brothers dwell together in unity"

Psalms 133:1

DR/Haiti Missions '09

2009-08-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems. Ill tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study, hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here. Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible, they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing."
-Jim Elliot

"Answering a student's question, 'Will the heathen who have not heard the Gospel be saved?' thus, 'It is more a question with me whether we, who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not, can be saved."
Charles Spurgeon

"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light"
John Keith Falconer

"Here am I. Send me."

Isaiah

here are a couple of the "clouds of witnesses" set before us (Hebrews 12), and man, what a testimony.

in my heart, i pray that God would give me the spiritual and physical vigor to one day obtain the faith of the examples set before me.... and be able to say with all of my being, "Here I am, send me".

this is my second year to the Dominican Republic as a short-term missionary, and yet again... the only word that expresses the whole experience would be, "AMAZING"!

we hit about 11 Batey's and some local churches and even a beach resort! which was insane and unplanned but God made a way and wanted those people to hear the gospel just as much the less fortunate needed to!

there were moments during our time at the Batey's where i would just go and pray to myself..... with the heavens above me, the Batey village around me, and the Spirit of God stirring words in me.

i would just stand there and be able to marvel at how much God truly loves us and cry for the people who think they're forgotten.

there were Batey's with nice churches, broken down churches, tented churches, and no churches.

so many cults come through these places, from Mormons to Moonies~

we come across pastors who've been through one month seminars declaring them "Ambassadors of Peace" for the area~

no matter how bizarre the situation may get, i can't help to wonder... what will convince them that Christianity is the right way, and how to distinguish even that from a cultivated institution itself.

but we can't lose focus....

we weren't there to tell them Christianity is the right way....

we were there to tell them about a God who loves them and hates sin~ and that by the blood of a Christ who is more about others than Himself, cared till the point of death to reunite God and man at the foot of a Roman cross 2000 years ago... to pave that way into eternal life.

that the God of the universe, YEARNS deathly... for a relationship with us.... and not to see our lives wasted~ but to be rooted... in "trees of righteousness" (Isaiah 61)

i can't help but walk away with a corner of my heart burdened bcuz of unfinished work.

a burden to see more souls come to Christ, a burden that tells me that this short term missionary work is not enough....

the call of an oversea missionary perhaps? the call of a preacher? the call to be a Christian?!

it's ridiculous.

why would God choose me? out of billions??? naawwwwww

but the fact of the matter was.... that when i was looking into that starlit sky, i realized.....

I'm 1000 miles away from home, i've just ministered to 11 out of hundred Batey's, around 24 Batey's in the past 2 summers, shared the gospel in Spanish, and was looking into a universe that God created.... and this God could've chosen a billion other people to do that.......

but He chose me.... so my heart wasn't asking "why" any more... but more like, "wow".

it became more like... "thank You Lord, for choosing me.... for letting me see things only You can reveal, to hear things only You can tell me, to do things only You can do through me...... for simply using me"

wow.

i can't explain in a blog how this whole thing has given light to different areas of my life, but one thing is for sure.... it's moments when you realize God is using u, your heart, mind, body, & soul... become one for the Kingdom and burns that much brighter not amongst the brightest... but brightest amongst the darkness.

man, i don't know how clear that last statement is for some of you...... but all i can say is...

I can't wait for next year. =)

______________________________________________________

the bus which brings good news

soldiers training...

soldiers strategizing...

never forget Batey 40

this is where church starts.... with faith.

bringin in the town!

Batey space

another church

the least...

of these.

mangos so good u can eat it right off the tree and with the skin...

the bugs are no joke!!! ahhh

this looks like brooklyn lol

fun @ the beach

last night @ resort stage, was crazy.

GOD IS GOOD!

¹ “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
      Because the LORD has anointed Me
      To preach good tidings to the poor;
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
      To proclaim liberty to the captives,
      And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
       ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
      And the day of vengeance of our God;
      To comfort all who mourn,
       ³ To console those who mourn in Zion,
      To give them beauty for ashes,
      The oil of joy for mourning,
      The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
      That they may be called trees of righteousness,
      The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Isaiah 61:1-3

"It's a New Season"

2009-07-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

blog blog blog.....

it's been a while since i have.

a crossroads of biblical doctrine and daily living.

my only excuse, is that God's been keeping me bz... and this Thurs morn seems to be the only time i have for you.

after doing my QTs this morning, i was convicted to pray for my "Sanctification".

Sanctification is not the imitation of Christ Jesus in holy living..... but an impartation.

"....in letting the perfect qualities of JEsus exhibit themselves in my human flesh."

"....it's not something Jesus puts in me--it is Himself in me"

sometimes we forget how we're given the Spirit to not only discern, but overcome.

we are more than conquerors. we are redeemed. we are appointed, annointed, & forgiven.

"JEsus, help me to live a life of holiness, patience, love, faith, purity, & godliness." -amen

man such a high calling, but all the more reason to try harder!

let's do this fam....

don't mean to get emo on u guys, but when it comes to God's word and just being able to spend that time with him.... it's inevitable that He'll penetrate your heart and even your own convictions, letting us know... that it's about Him and not about us. werd =)

so, so many things going on this summer.... where to start.

got a job at the beginning of the month at the Fairfiled Inn by Marriot as a front desk agent.... and dang y'all.... mad secular.

from the prostitutes that check-in to the adulterer's working at the front desk alongside me!

God has me here for a reason y'all!! lol

ive shared my faith with 2 of the co-workers already, but man... they're just very close-minded to the gospel.

but that doesn't stop me from praying for them...

2 of my co-workers goto the same church as i do, which is awesome.... but i fear one of them is more influenced than being the influence.... esp as his position as Assistant General Manager.

the world will do that to u... harden u.

"you are called to be in the world, but not of it" - Jesus

God reveals this to me daily.

on another note:

YOUTH HALLELUJAH '09 starting today through Sat.!

EMC Choir will be doing a 20 min opener for Fri........ i will be rapping...eh hemm*

show some love y'all lol =)

AND.... finally.... next week....i am off....

to DR/HAITI Missions '09!!! =)

i am both excited and burdened!! (holy burden of course)

we are praying and fasting for this and definitely practicing~ it's been hectic & chaotic... but God has a plan and we're just hopping on to what He's already doing.... so we're confident God will be moving during our time there and souls will come to know Christ as Savior! holla.

as disciples we're called to make disciples that make disciples and disciple-cycles, cmon now~

no such thing as a keep quiet Christian~

with that being said, im outtie =)

stay blessed and remain victorious y'all... God is more than good, Heeeeeee's GREATTT! =)

______________________________________________________

DongHo & i at bryant Park <3 (did i mention he's back!? =)

BBQ!! (a picture is worth a thousand words)

Brian-ME-Sang *TGS*!!

PEACE

CHALLENGE 2009

2009-07-03T21:44:00.001-07:00

so this past Mon-Wed was pretty intense~

went on a youth retreat setup by the Baptist convention~ it was called, "Challenge 2009", fifth year and running.....

this past 1 is the best one yet!~

it was my first, and according to many of the leaders and kids... it was the best, praise the Lord ;)

i was incredibly blessed to have my first real retreat with many of my EMC family, including the older ones and most of the leaders.

i was able to pray for many of my brothers and sisters, which i was incredibly blessed to do...

i was able to lead the youth into worship and bless them with how God was able to use someone as hopeless and wretched as i was.... no matter how nerve wrecking sharing my testimony may have been..... the feedback was tremendous and encouraging, or tremendously encouraging =)

i praise God for the ears that heard, hearts that were touched, and commitments made that night.

the theme of Challenge'09 was 'trained to serve' and the verse on the back was from 1 Timothy 4:7-8.... "train yourself for godliness. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

i pray till we meet again next year at Challenge 2010, you guys will remain in His righteous ways and continue to train yourselves for godliness and experience victory in every area of your life.... after all... we serve a God who is bigger than life itself and who made us more than conquerors..... lets do this =)

God's Groupi"E"

PRAISE WAS INCREDIBLE!~

BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF EMC incl Pastor Jacob

"Don't Waste Your Life Tour '09 NYC"

2009-06-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

as we wave the banner...

Sho Baraka, Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, & Flame

FLAME

LECRAE PREACHING STRAIGHT GOSPEL

US CAMPIN OUT WITH OUR LUNCHEABLES JUST TO GET A PICTURE OR AUTORGRAPH OR SOMETHING FROM THESE GUYS!

GOTTA PIC WITH DJ OFFICIAL

AND WITH TEDASHII AND TRIPPPP LEEE~WOW

once Lecrae got up, the whole house got up~

fanplay.

Sermon jam LOL

Hillsong Concert...

2009-06-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

...twas AMAZING~!

standing for a grueling 6 hours, from 5 pm to 11 pm.... my legs after last night have gone numb.

Roseland Ballroom on 52nd St., was packed out to the max Fri. night as Hillsong United came to bring "heaven to earth" for those brief moments.... we lifted the name of Jesus way high and made commitments with tears of repentance & joy.

First time in NYC, United band was nuts!

with Darlene Zschech doing her thing at BT on Sunday and the United band coming thru the following Friday, worship was surreal this week, praise You GOD!

i truly pray the worship isn't contained within the walls of BT or Roseland, but outside to the schools, workplaces, churches, homes, and to the city that never sleeps.... we can't sleep on them.... "the time has come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks." (John 4:23)

be encouraged this week friend...

Thy Kingdom come thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...

can u find me?!? lol =)

group pic~

Desert Song

Hosanna

"Basilea '09"

2009-05-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

Basilea09

Basilea '09 was AMAZING~!!!

for the past three years i've been blessed and have been taking advantage of going on this leadership summit at Saranac Lake~

and everytime, i come away amazed at how God continues to reveal Himself through people, friends, and nature.

dang...

and everytime i really miss it afterwards, heh

but dang...

it starts now,

when we're all back home, and the emotional high can't last forever..... but now, we're forced to live this lifestyle called "Worship" with the word "Kingdom" in mind of everything of we do.

but the amazing thing about God and this past week, is that worship isn't forced..... it's as natural as a lifestyle should be!

in our response to a voice that made the heavens and the earth...

how could we NOT respond!... doesn't make sense~

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

³ There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

-Psalms 19:1-3

amen.

Hunter IV Fam~ Basilea '09 generation~holla!

some watertubing

i call this the gluttony of man~ "BIG COOKIE"

i call this...."the Peace of God"

"Problem of Pleasure"

2009-05-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

So today, got to see Mr. RAVI ZACHARIASSS at Brooklyn Tabernacle church and let me just say....... wow.

i took notes to the best of my ability, but the dudes lyrical capacity and substance for each point is..... beyond legible..... i was tryna taking notes at such a fast pace i was unable to read what i had wrote down, heh.

ne way,

as small of a paper i had~ i did my best to get some points down, peep.

"Problem of Pleasure"

Dr. Ravi Zacharias

1-Anything that refreshes you w/o diminishing or distracting you from your final goal, is a legitimate pleasure.

-illustration from Judges of the 300 soliders

take time to write down -->"What is the mission statement of your life?"

2-Any pleasure that jeopardizes the sacred right of another (life of another) is an illicit pleasure.

-your calling (no matter what it is) will test you character.

3-Too much of any pleasure, however good or kept in balance, will distort reality or destroy appetite.

Proverbs 25:16

"If you find honey, eat just enough—

too much of it, and you will vomit."

Conclusion 1: all pleasure must be bought at the price of pain

2: Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain but from pleasure.

3: The closer you get to pure pleasures, the closer you get to the heart of God; the further you get to impure pleasures, the further you get from God.

4: True intimacy touches your heart & soul.

of course Ravi expounds much more than noted here, but basically sometimes we're always worried about the problem of pain... we look past the problem of pleasure.... which is just as great an issue.

sometimes we get too comfortable and sometimes we just don't care....

don't waste your life....

__________________________________________________

HOLLA!

ENCORE SHOW!

May 23rd, 2009, Saturday; 7 p.m.

"Bigger than Life"

2009-05-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

wow, weekend was amazing.... will try to post pictures and vids.

seems ppl are requesting an encore show!

here are some newsreels from krn websites and media~ all glory to Him who's bigger than life =)

www.usaamen.net www.czoneus.net www.churchus.net

Our Playbill:

Part I; Song 2, "Praise the Lord":

Sopranos:

MEN:

Part II; Dance, "Give Me Your Eyes":

Last Session Worship; "From The Inside Out, In My Life, Savior King":

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

God is bigger than life.

"MY GOD IS BIGGER THAN LIFE"

2009-05-01T21:51:00.001-07:00

E.M.C. presents:

	EBENEZER MISSION CHURCH
	220-16 UNION TURNPIKE
	Oakland Gardens, NY

Saturday & Sunday

7 p.m. both nights

May 2nd & 3rd

MUSICAL/DRAMA/HIP-HOP/DINNER!!!

what else do u need?

i know.....

....a friend...... ;)

will update post after this weekend!~

HOLLA!

Spring Break

2009-04-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

my spring break was refreshing.

bit too lackadaisical perhaps? yet productive in its own way :)

classes begin tomorrow, and I'm just reflecting on what's been happening past few days or weeks and felt like blogging this beautiful Sunday morning.

spent some time w/ God and meditating on my QT, which was so crazy... i want u guys to see for yourself, check it.

"It is in the aftermath of a great spiritual event that the least likely things begin to have an effect. They may not be forceful or dominant, but they are there. And if you are not careful to be forewarned, they will trip you. You have remained true to God under great and intense trials---now beware of the undercurrent".

it's true, to beware of the least likely temptations.

we can be spiritually uplifted at times but sometimes the little things can bring us down ever so gently or profoundly.

speaking of being spiritually uplifted, I just came back from a youth retreat at Ebenezer Mission Church (EMC). This was the church i considered my Queens church as i was serving in New JErsey at Diaspora.

I wasn't sure if EMC was going to be my home church, but it seems God has been opening doors for me there.

a small group of us, about 15, 20 incl leaders.

I was given the privilege to lead worship for the youth there. And it was at Christian Academy, where DEM had "Standfast II: Living Hope".... talk about walking down memory lane.

It was good.

i led small group with my sister Joan, and the kids were great. So much potential and innocence with these guys, i just pray God would help me lead them towards Him in all of their different struggles and issues..... it felt like DEM all over again.

a portion i really enjoyed was this "Pathway of Meditation" CA had, which i never saw, which i wish i did.

but this pathway helped me remember who i am in God's eyes and who God is in my own, and how often we forget....

the prayer of my life, is to fully surrender my all to Him....

"God, b with me as i desire to serve you, your kingdom, your people. With all these transitions and changes, help me to be reliant on what your will is, not mine. Be w/ Pastor Stephen as he is transitioning and as he is being led by You. May he surrender and submit himself to where You lead him and how You lead him....and yea... even when You lead him. Be with Esther as she is searching.... help her to be sensitive to the Spirit and find her place in the sanctuary you want her in, keeping You in the center of her choices. God, please be w/ the kids of DEM, that they would continue to quench their thirst in You and not anything else....to continue in the heart of worship.

May You Kingdom come and will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Use us.

Amen."

bible verses as you walk along.... wow.

"Diaspora Church"

2009-03-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-03-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

"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

My Foreign Friend

2009-02-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

So for those who didn't know,

mi Pop's friend's son, DongHo, came to visit NY and stay with his dad in his duration here.

mi Pop's requested i accompany him, befriend him, show him the ropes, ya kno da deal.

in the beginning, i will admit...... i was a bit hesitant.

Afterall, during the time i was taking 20 credits for school... where would i find the time? or how could i make any? =\

it was our family's annual Christmas dinner and my father had invited them over, which was where i first met the dude.

and since then, the rest became history. =)

He left this afternoon, and i will admit.... i was hesitant to let him go!~ lol =\

i'd driven him to the airport and watched him walk off past the boarding gates...

it felt almost like a krn drama...... "ahnyung~ jal ga, kiyuk hae...sarang hae" lol

something like that~

we made a great bond, and so i'm dedicating this sappy blog to the brother =)

it was weird how well we got along, being that he was way more culturally korean than i, and how we've only known each other for 2 months.

we've learned alot from one another.... spiritually, mentally, culturally, etc.

for one thing... he's the only dude i'd ever really called or saw as "hyung", which is a title given to your elders or people who are considerably older.

as weird as it was for me... he wasn't someone who demanded my respect but earned it. He made me feel comfortable and a sense of honor to see him that way... a friend and an older brother figure.

being that i grew up with older sisters, the natural desire for a male sibling is... natural.

ne way,

one thing he said to me before he left, that sort of humbled me and led me to praise my God.... was how much confidence my life gave him to have more faith in the same God that i serve.

He said out of all the things we've learned from one another, it was a stronger faith that he cherishes the most. My only thoughts were.......... thank u God~ thank u so much!!!

i'll always cherish the month of Jan and Feb of 09 with my "foreign friend".

the days he'd just come over to watch Will Smith movies, the nights we'd go worship at "the Gate" (Friday nights @ Times Sq. Church).... Korean BBQ, Dallas BBQ w/ Esther, Misun & Yungha, going to nrb and watching how true koreans roll with a mic and a karoake machine (it's ridiculous, just have your cameras out)lol..... sigh*

"God bless you hyung, u da man.... God made u to be an awesome testimony of His love and grace. Shine your light.1"

Playing the tune of angels song...

It's that season!

Discipleship: Extreme or Expected?

Tribute to Sam Balmores

October is ober

"Good Company"

I am Second...

October October

The Way

September September

"Transitions"

Small Change Big Change

Challenge 2011: Cross It Out

Basileia 2011 : The Aftermath

"Freedom"

Academic Satire!

Camp Deer Park

*Christian Souljah*

*March Madness*

"Feed500"

"Fresh View Of The Cross"

Birthday Love

Jesus in a Box

Intervention

ThankYou 2010 Good2c u 2011 :)

"i'm not sinless, but i can sin less"

*Little Moments*

*Jehovah Jireh*

blogspot oh blogspot, where fore art thou oh blogspot.

Found among his papers in Zimbabwe after he was martyred

"New Seasons"

The New Year

*Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving*

"GOT YO BACK"

"Indescribable"

"Common Seed"

"New WAve"

"The Gift of Worship"

DR/Haiti Missions '09

"It's a New Season"

*CHALLENGE 2009*

"Don't Waste Your Life Tour '09 NYC"

Hillsong Concert...

"Basilea '09"

"Problem of Pleasure"

"Bigger than Life"

"MY GOD IS BIGGER THAN LIFE"

*Spring Break*

"Diaspora Church"

"Here We Go"

The Princeton Review: Best Value Colleges 2009

Draw Me Closer

My Foreign Friend

Christian Souljah

March Madness

Little Moments

Jehovah Jireh

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

CHALLENGE 2009

Spring Break