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bmwlc734
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Name: Brian
Country: United States
State: California
Birthday: 11/3/1984
Gender: Male
Interests: knowing God, seeing people smile, deep conversations, healing, social justice, global domination, reading books, sleeping, miracles, halo halo, soulful music, dancing, breaking awkward moments
Expertise: Cooking broccoli, sweeping floors, awkward moments, smash brother n64, mario kart 64, getting your parents approval (for some reason this comes natural), dancing for justice
Occupation: Student
Industry: Nonprofit
Message: message me
Member Since:
3/30/2003
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| Optimum pace
Today I ran 2 loops from via alicante and back to the house. I was inspired by hearing that Mike ran two full loops :). This is the longest distance I've ran ! I feel pretty good.
The first loop, I jogged slowly, just enough to get by, but towards the end of it my feet were hurting a lot. It was very hard for me go up the upward driveway. I was literally like a snail.
As I got to Via alicante, the second time, I felt a lot of pain in my feet, and felt like quitting. Nevertheless, I continued to run, and thought about going at a faster pace.
At first I was afraid that I would be burned out even quicker, by running faster. Because I would need to use my body's momentum more and move my legs further each stride. However, surprisingly, as I ran faster, my lungs continued to breath at the same rate. And my feet "STOPPED HURTING!" ... So I continued to run the last stretch, at this faster pace, using more of my body, but my feet didn't hurt, and my lungs could keep up with it!
I was amazed that I could go faster than I thought, and that when I went on this pace, it actually felt better for my body.
Sometimes we can go faster than what we expect, and it will even be better for us !
Perhaps, that was a more optimum stride than before ?
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As I look for jobs and "prepare" this summer, I feel like I'm going at a very slow pace sometimes, and I am getting really tired, and it feels very frustrating and painful.
Maybe I can go a little faster, press myself more during this time, and find an optimum pace, where I do more, and I'm able to keep up with it, even if I have to hustle more, but my body will not hurt as much !
Lord, I pray that you would let me go at your pace, and show me where to go. set my eyes on you, and stay with me in every step, not to go further than you nor behind you, but to stay with you.
Phil 3:12-14
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| Developing a Fruitful Garden**(note: I have no farming experience, hence feel free to correct me).
a) Clear soil by pulling out the weeds
b) Avoid/ensure, other unwanted plants don't grow
c) Loosen soil and let it restore minerals
d) plant good seeds, with access to sun
e) periodically water and wait
f) harvest good fruit
As a Jesus followers, we try to avoid many things and to "not do" certain things.
Many of us:
don't swear,
don't watch certain movies,
don't drink much,
don't smoke,
don't party,
don't say "dirty" jokes,
don't fight,
we try not do do "bad things".
Generally we're distinguished by what we "don't do".
wherefore, this begs the question;
Is not doing certain things, how Jesus followers are supposed to be primarily characterized ? (Matt 5:14-16)
Are we supposed to live square, timid, boxed in lives of subsistence ?
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Back to the garden :).
In light of
Matthew 13 (parable of the seeds and soil)
Gal 6:7-8 (reaping what we sow into)
How should Jesus followers be primarily characterized ?
This is a challenging question for me right now.
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| healing the sick"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.' " (Luke 10:8-9)
Every time we see someone with a sickness, in crutches, a wheelchair, a caste, or coughing, it's fair game for us to heal them. As Jesus followers, since we've heard, we're held accountable to obey (James 1:22, Deut 6).
This can be a scary thing. But when we do this, God always shows up. =)
To heal a sick person requires God , availability, love, faith, and humility.
1) God:
- most of the time, if we see a sick/injured person, I tend think that God is leading us to heal them (unless it's obvious the timing isn't right, eg: going to class). (but everywhere Jesus went, he healed the sick)
- Some days I happily pray for the sick, a lot of days, I don't feel like to, because I know that it's going to cost: time, energy, love, faith, humility, and lots of dependence on God.
2) Love:
- We heal the sick because we love them and want to see them experience God
- cost: time + energy, it can take 5 min or hours,
- without this motive
- it's illogical to see why we should heal them
- if we're not loving, things might turn out even worse than they are!
- People can see right through us: if we're not sincere with love, 9/10 time times they won't receive prayer
3) Faith:
- 2 sides of faith: (person administering healing, and the person receiving healing)
- Us:
- Have to believe for God to show up, and that he will heal them
- Faith to listen to God in how to pray for them
- Risk looking dumb: if nothing happens (reputation)
- Trust God, that the person won't bite your head off
- Faith that even if they're not healed immediately, they will be in time
- Faith to ask the person to try to do something they couldn't do before, after you pray for them
- Them:
- faith to test their illness/injury remaining
- faith to believe possiblity of God healing them
4) Humility
- dependence on God, not fancy persuasion skills
- have a heart that desires to serve the other person
- heart that lifts up the other person
- heart willing to accept rejection
Today my homeboys (literally, we lived in the same home), Alex, Gary, and I were at the Aquarium checking out some fish. A low and behold, in the corner of my eye a dear woman sat in a wheel chair with a caste over her left ankle. !!!! NO GOD!!! !!!NOT NOW!!!!!!! This was our "hang out time", laying low with the boys, not to do crazy things !! Hence, I tip toed away, averting my eyes back to the fish.
Nevertheless, I just couldn't brush her out of my mind. God!? is this you!? or me!? Lord, I'm feeling tired, not in a loving mood, nor very lovable, plus its lunch time! Excuses came, but still the thought of her lingered. Okay, God I know you love her, give me heart to love her and to care for her. and I remembered learning that God works through those who make themselves available for him .... and are willing to obey. ...mmm.. God ... there's a very high chance we're going to look dumb if you don't show up! (GOD !! but I want to see you work crazy things! HELP ME!!!)
So, sheepishly (thanks Lois, JiYun, for this word), I wink at Gary and Alex. And we walk over her to talk to her.
We find out she sprained her ankle yesterday because someone fell on her, and that she cannot put any pressure on her foot because it hurts. We show sincereity and concern for her leg (love) so she accepts prayer.
(All right God! Now it's your turn to work!! again)
Being very sheepish now, without giving eye contact, with quivering lips, we ask if she wants to try to do something she couldn't do before (faith, even though its very little)
She looks at me with disbelief , (AHH!! GOD!! I'M DEAD!!) ... i smile ... then wow!! FAITH - she has faith to try her leg. she gets out of her wheel chair and stands up and puts pressure on her leg, she looks back at us, and tell us she can do something now she couldn't do this morning! (God showing up, what the heck!? it work!)
She says it still hurts a bit, so we ask if we can pray for her one more time ! She agrees ... we pray ... !!
(this time i'm too CHICKEN, to ask her to try her foot again, fearing there may be no change or fearing she might not have the faith to try again), we bless her and we go on our way.
* * * * * *
now I'm kicking myself a bit ... that I should have asked her to try her foot again :)
I believe God partially healed her on the spot (James 1:18)... even as she is able
to put more pressure and feel less pain on her leg. Whether or not he
fully immediately healed her after the second time prayer, not sure.
I'm still going to pray for her full immediate healing !
next time! I'm going to ask her to try her leg again ! (God please show up!!)
Regardless, God showed up :D: we felt very humbled, and she and her husband watching seemed touched, and we know she was at least partially healed.
I can't wait for the day when God let's me see a paralyzed person in a wheel chair start walking, someone grow out a missing limb, or a person raised from the dead :) , but something tells me that I need to be faithful with the little to be trusted by God to be faithful with much.
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| summer begins6.15.08
- Jason teaching about Forgiveness: Colossians 3, 1 John 3:15
- Lunch with Gary, Michelle, Phil, at Los primos
- Shopping at UTC
- Book from Bultman from Phillip
- Syrup from Phillip
- Eating Mike/James' leftovers
- Playing smash brothers with Gary and Michelle
- New black pants given to me by Mike
- Talk with god father Nelson
- Talk with Dad
- Talk with J Lo
6.14.08
- Michelle cooks us delicious jambalya dinner!
- Ice cream from Jason and Austin
- Philip Dedie returns! (friend from Germany)
- Starcraft with Ramondo, Austin
- long sleep
- Austin returns my shoe, and Ramondo brings back water bottle/bible
6.13.08
- Discount for Einstein from Ramondo
- Pho lunch with James, Juan, and pc1
- Hanging out with Jess at Tap-ex
- Wine and snacks from Juan/James
- Smash /Mario tennis with James, Juan, Mark (Jame's cousin), steve
6.12.08
- Ramondo takes me out to photo shoot
- Austin gives me haircut
- Ramondo makes delicious pasta lunch
- Ramondo teaches me how to play star craft
- Bagels from Ramondo
6.11.08
- Finished finals!!
- Dinner with Gary and Michelle! (deelicious!)
- Smash with Steve
- healing (No sickness after finals!)
- Seeing Johnny, Jeff, Maritha, and Grace they left
- Seeing Brian Park
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| good things6/5/08
- Finishing and turning in last paper !
- love campaign worship!
- Sweet talk with Brian Park: about resting/striving, being most broken/joyful people, surf board
- Talking/prayer for grad student with Carlo
- Prayer from Carlo: word about "pastoral heart"
- finishing greek sentences!
- Dinner with Danny Han @ Panda Express
- Prayer from Grace, Jon, Danny
- Running into Joe Lee !
- Danny Han shares snacks with me: Apple Juice, tea, and granola bars
- Ride home from campus from James
6/4/08
- staying up late and still healthy!
- sleep
- talk with Mike
6/3/08
- Studying with Carrie
- Carrie shares snacks
- Office Hours with Professor Kalleres
- Video with Jacob
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