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vinsanity_jazzin
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Name: Vinsant
Birthday: 11/1/1985
Gender: Male
Interests: God. Music, Composition, Sports, Photography, Culinary Arts
Expertise: Jack of all Trades. Expert at none.
Occupation: Student
Industry: Media
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
10/20/2004
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| Amy CarmichaelFrom prayers that ask that I may be
Sheltered from winds that beat on thee
From fearing when I should aspire
From faltering when I should climb higher
From silken self, O Captain, free
The soldier who would follow thee
From subtle love of softening things
From easy choices, weakenings
Not thus are spirits fortified
Not this was went the crucified
From all that dims thy calvary
O Lamb of God, deliver me.
Give me the Love that leads the way
The faith that nothing can dismay
The hope, no disappointment tire
The passion, that will burn like fire
Let me sink not to be a dod,
Make me thy fuel, O Lamb of God
You may have seen this here before, but I thought it was apt.
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| Healer classes in the Christian context?In game terminology (and which should be immediately apparent) a healer is the person behind the group that makes sure that no one dies. They make sure that wounds are taken care of, that diseases are cleansed, curses are purged, magic is dispelled, and if someone has fallen, they get resurrected as soon as they can.
Healing classes are subject to a lot attention, however. Obviously, if you're a big bad monster with ph4t l3wt (fat loot, good drops, stuff that you pick up from your dead body), and no one is dying, you kill what's keeping them alive. Aggro, a gaming term, is a system of complex numbers about the aggravation of monsters, and loosely translated, means - the healer dies. So a healer must also be wary about over-healing, and only giving it when necessary.'
So how is this relevant to the christian context? This might be stretching it, but bear with me.
Not everyone will be involved in the 'healing' ministry. I'm not talking about faith healing and the likes, I'm talking more in the fact of keeping men and women on the battlefield, fighting. In proper terms you may call it intercession, praying with and for, showing love, keeping the fire alive, etc. etc. Every body on the battlefield will grow wounds, experience fatigue, suffer blows from the volleys of those who would oppose us in the expansion of His kingdom, and even the hardiest tank with last stand will fall if no healing is administered. God is still the author and giver of all love and healing, but I believe some of us, if not most or all, will have a chance to be the instrument of healing.
The three things I think are relevant to gaming healing, and christian 'healing'
1) a dead healer is no use to anyone, a energy-less healer is not much better.
When we are too preoccupied during healing, we can sometimes forgo our own personal health and energy levels. We forget that we are players too, and that we require healing as well. It's good to be selfless and all, but negligence can kill you, or worse, your fire for God.
Spirit of redemption only lasts 12 seconds. Multiple renews, 3 greater heals, 5 flash heals, 1 prayer of mending, 2 prayers of healing, or a combination of a few of those. Not helpful if the fights not done, or not close to being done. Watch yourself. Martyrdom can only do so much.
2) Overhealing = useless.
Overhealing is when you give it to someone who doesn't need it. You waste energy, and in the case of the Christian context, there's always someone more in need of it. Think of a surgical traige setup. The people who are critically injured are treated first, than the badly injured, than the injured. Look out for people that need healing, not just the people you like. Don't waste your energy.
3) Be firm, be a leader when it's required of you.
Yes, it's cool to be able to keep n00bs alive, and I can do so if it's not a heroic - but it's not a pleasant experience. You've got to let the people you're healing know that it's not cool that they throw themselves into fire because they know you're a good healer (not without letting you know, at least, or if it's their job description). Some times you have to let them crash (and rez them later) before they learn that it's not cool to run after mobs and get themselves (and the rest of the group) killed, or that to heal them you've got to be able to see them, etc. etc. etc.
Help the leaders, and keep everyone in line. When everyone knows what to do, and does it the way it should be done, most times you will not have a problem, and it makes it easier for everyone else.
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- Where the Light is, John Mayer's new DVD, is spiffily awesome.
- I hope I don't blow it, again.
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| How great a love?Old school gamers (and some of the newer ones) will remember Uther the Lightbringer very fondly indeed. He was one of the 'heroes' of Warcraft 2, when heroes had the same image, appearance, and voice as every other unit of it's class (but different unit banner, and decently bigger stats), and he, an original founder of the Knights of the Silver Hand was struck down by Arthas in Warcraft 3.
I say some because alot of people don't bother about lore, just the gameplay, which is a shame with lore so deep as the world of warcraft.
Anyway, today I stumbled around WoWwiki before I headed to an early bed (before potential yachting and then overdrive work), and he was the featured article in it. It was an interesting read and I discovered a number of interesting things about him, and a feat of very amazing forgiveness.
I've never leveled a horde character far enough (closest to getting this quest is 12 levels away), so i've never done this quest myself, but basically there's a character who wants to defile Uther's grave because he thinks it was his fault that Arthas went ballistic and did what he did, and so he wants you to help. When you reach it and complete the quest, the ghost of Uther appears and says this.
- Why do you do this? Did I somehow wrong you in life?
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- Ah, I see it now in your mind. This is the work of one of
my former students... Mehlar Dawnblade. It is sad to know that his
heart has turned so dark.
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- Return to him. Return to Mehlor and tell him that I forgive him and that I understand why he believes what he does.
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- I can only hope that he will see the Light and instead turn his energies to restoring once-beautiful Quel'Thalas.
Amazing, huh? If you were dead and somebody came by and defiled it, I'd be mad. I'd take the very fact that I was dead to be a good reason to get away with it, but no. I forgive you, I understand, I hope you turn away.
Guess what the response is?
Forgives me? He FORGIVES ME?!!!
I don't care what that old ghost had to say - it was his fault!
Everything that's happened to Quel'Thalas was a result of his
incompetence!
It is clear that the defiling did not work. Go, be gone from my sight! I must think this through.
Typical? quite.
What is your response to such grace? What would be your response to saving grace?
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- I guess now is as good as never. I've toyed with a few WoW analogies (that don't really need you to be gamers to understand, but it may help), and perhaps, over the next few days I'll roll out a few for you.
- been thinking about the 'niche' market which is asian chinese photographers in Australia (chinese prefer to approach chinese people). To do that, what would I need to call the business in order to appeal to that? Imperial photography sounds too standoffish, and extremely old-fashion. Huang photography doesn't appeal to me.
I could use my cantonese background, convert my Huang to Wong, and call it - The Wong Photograph, or The Wong Photographer. (Futurama ftw! I've seriously considered buying a house and calling it "the Wong place".)
I'm not attached to my surname, and it's technically the same one :p
- Climb every mountain by Guy Sebastian. Awesome (but not as awesome as that photo I can't find).
- by the way, I stand by my, well, stand, that any life experience, and almost any game, can teach you something if you are open to it. Don't discourage your children or friends from loved ones from it, encourage them to think.
- We should also, totally, have a sing off as a music ministry social, or an episode of 'don't forget the hymn'
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| For those who are interestedI was asked to put this up. Here is my unadultered sharing during Mission weeks 1 of OCF. The ending might be different but this is what I had on my sheet of paper (the end was added later)
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Good
Evening. My name is Vinsant Ian Huang Yen Khai. I stand before you as
a failure, a man who chose poorly in life. I have rarely achieved
anything that I set out to do, I lived in my brother's shadow for the
most part of my life, and have been, at best, branded as mediocre.
The mission trip was no different, it has highlighted my failures, my
short comings, and my inability to do anything on my own.
The mission trip showed me how utterly
irresponsible I was, and how unkind, unfaithful, without goodness,
rough, impatient, anxious, depressed, and unloving I truly am. I was
irresponsible with my duties, and my resources, my personal character
and philosophy of joy was seen as attention seeking, I was annoying
to more than one of my team mates, and on many occasions failed to
show them love. Afterwards it was said that as a senior member of the
team, I was a let-down, a disappointment – A failure.
So today, if I were to talk to you
about Vinsant, which means conqueror, or Yen Khai, which means ever
victorious, you would instead see the complete opposite, because I am
neither of the two.
Tonight I want to talk to you about the
other two names that I don't use as much, but instead ties the two
together so much better.
Ian, means God is gracious, and God
truly has been. Throughout the trip, God showed me love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control, the
fruits of the spirit that he has implanted in the people around me,
whether it was in my group members, or in the Christians I had met,
or the non-Christians that I the chance to meet, and respect. Through
each one I have been inspired to become so much more. To grow and not
be bogged down by my short-comings, but to overcome them, to desire
to be more and more like Jesus, and to align my pleasures with his.
Huang, really just means yellow, but is
the colour of kings, as my surname it reminds me that God has done
what was necessary to make me His son. It reminds me that it is not I
who conquers, or wins victories, but God who conquers, who won the
war, and will bear me through the battle.
Tonight I want to tell you that
missions is not from the unbroken, to the broken. It is from the
broken, to the broken, equal in every way, except for the truth that
we hold, this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing
power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way,
but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted,
but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in
the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be
manifested in our bodies.
Missions, short term or long, local or
abroad is as much a message to you as it is a message to others.
There is no superiority, no inferiority John Piper once said that God was like
an ever-flowing fountain. You glorify the fountain not by pouring
water into it, but taken from it and spreading it's waters to
everyone around you. It comforts me to know that even if I fall and
my bucket spills, there is always more where that came from.
If you're considering mission tonight, and think you are not ready, not perfect enough, not good enough for God to use, remember this. God is so much greater than your failings, it is not you who changes people with your words and your actions, it is He who conquers all, who changes lives, who is ever-victorious. Amen.
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- A new low
- lvl 29, Gaze has been good companion.
- Appreciating friends, new and old, familiar, and unfamiliar.
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| I just thought this was sweetJust enough to break a thought blog hiatus.
No actual thought, but I stumbled upon this while reading my web comics.
Some people ask the question with a cake or a ring. Possibly even a webcomic, power armor or a pile of corpses... Me, I asked with a pixel side-scrolling video game.
As Dom has told me, the way you ask should be true to who you are. Me, I make video games. Hell, I get paid to do it
supposedly. So when I asked Jes to marry me, I had spent the last year
secretly making a little 8bit game for her. An hour here, an hour
there, I slowly put it together in cover of night. It worked out great.
Well... it would have been better had the final boss not glitched and
got stuck in a wall. ( -_-)ThreePanelSoul, and Ian McConville, Rock. The game is not available, since as you would imagine, it's highly personal.
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- Luther and Mariah, Endless Love, ever a classic.
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