shoot now

"You can't score if you don't shoot."
- David Yang

My LCG said this profound thing today. It's awesome because I think about this a lot. I'm so afraid of missing that I don't actually take a shot. But that just means I'm never gonna score. Plus, there's no room for faith.

"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."
- Hebrews 12:2

As Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith, he redeems those shots.. Both the ones we make and the ones we miss.

self

Selfishness really feeds on itself, doesn't it?

counterproductive

I walked by the Starbucks on South U today, only to see a sign that said "Wi-Fi Unavailable." Nothing out of the ordinary, except someone had crossed out with black Sharpie "Wi-Fi" and had written "Water" instead. The sign read "Water Unavailable." Below it, also in Sharpie, was written: "We cannot make any bevrages at this time." (And yes, they spelled beverages wrong.)

I wanted to let the workers know about this atrocious prank (and I also wanted a caramel Frappuccino), so I walked in and told the guy at the counter. He looked at me completely seriously and said, "I know."

"You know that there's a sign on your door that says you're not serving beverages."

"Yes. I know."

"This is Starbucks. All you guys do is make drinks."

"I know."

"So why aren't you serving drinks. What does this mean, you don't have water?"

"We don't have water. The water main broke, so we can't wash our hands. So by health code regulations, we can't serve any drinks."

"So... why are you open?"

"We're selling bottled products and pastries."

This Starbucks sucks.
"Okay. I think I'm going to get a bottled mocha Frappuccino."

I picked up a luke-warm bottle.

"Oh, I think there are colder ones."

I touch all four bottles lined up. They're all the same temperature. Guy comes around counter and touches them too. He grabs one, says, "This one's the coldest."

Whatever. They're exactly the same temperature. But whatever you say.
"Okay. Thanks. I'll take that one."

What's the point of having a coffeeshop that doesn't serve coffee? It's just counterproductive, like the millions of other things that don't make sense in the world. People especially don't make sense.

weekend warrior

You would be amazed at how awesome I am at wasting my weekend away.

The past four days were a blur. I played volleyball, tinkered with web stuff for a little bit, served at church, and played FIFA for 4 hours (by far the biggest regret of the weekend). I'm never playing FIFA for more than an hour at a time.

No, seriously. It's not just something I told my mom when I was younger. I'm being serious. No more than an hour.

So I had fun, had different opportunities and chances to take steps in the right direction and be challenged and put my faith in Him. But you know, chances go by and I remain rooted to the spot, still taken up about what people think and about little things that mess with my mind. I wish my mind weren't so complex.

I scheme a lot. Can I just have a childlike heart and a childlike faith? Just to know that the next minutes will be taken care of - that my Father is in control and He knows where I'm going even though I'm not? I don't want to have to yell "Are we there yet?" every fifteen minutes. I do, though.

"And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'"
- Matthew 18:3

I am a weekend warrior. There's a battle over souls, and I end up giving in most days. But it's okay, right? It's slow going, but there's no knowing, that one day...

summer days

1. I went to our church's Jakarta team send-off service today, and I got emotional for the first time in a while. It wasn't because they were leaving and I would miss them, but something rather different. Apart from a great time of worship, seeing a father pray for his daughter knowing that he could do nothing but put his faith in God made me see the beauty of a father's love. A glimpse of the Father's love for us. That brought tears to my eyes.

2. Success is not about being good and ... perfect... and having a 4.0, being a part of a huge church, being a perfect apologetic, popular, or having a bunch of stuff. It is where Jesus Christ is lifted high.

"And they sang a new song:
   'You are worthy to take the scroll
      and to open its seals,
   because you were slain,
      and with your blood you purchased men for God
      from every tribe and language and people and nation.
 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
      and they will reign on the earth.'"
- Revelation 5:9-10

3. "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
- Matthew 28:20b

Just a little assurance. :)

4. God, take my five loaves and two fish and make something of it. I don't know why I ever thought I had anything to offer. I have so little, but teach me to give what I have. (and not to be a glutton).

world cup

I used to love the World Cup so much that apparently it scared my mom that I would die of some stress-related, high blood pressure disorder because of soccer games. Thank God I've toned down.

Anyway. I'm still excited, nonetheless. I might wear this Korea jersey for the next 2 weeks. No washing. (Just kidding).

One thing I love about soccer: no commercial breaks. And when they say there's 10 minutes left, there's 10, maybe 15 minutes left. Unlike football or basketball, where the last 4 minutes of the 4th quarter is like an hour.

One thing I hate about soccer: players act like pansies sometimes. Just take the call and move on. I understand you have to fake and flop every time someone touches you, but be men. Come on.

be free.

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."
- Galatians 5:13-15

a thriving faith

Reminders from the Fishing Story

Pastor Seth's blog post reminds me of something I'm slowly learning:

"Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'"
- Luke 5:5

Peter doesn't live on common sense. It's not about common sense. Because you say so, I shall go.

sportsmanship

He lost. He let me win, allowed me to spit in His face while I rounded the bases to victory. Again and again I look upon Him with scorn, though at times I do understand what love really means. Much more of the time I'm captivated in myself, in my victory - that though the show of grace should be enough, I find myself wanting much more. Too often, I am dissatisfied with simply knowing Him, and I discover how little I actually know Him.

He lost. He lost so that I could win. He cared nothing for His own victory, only cared that I'd be in the right place. He endured feeling forsaken so that I might not have to feel forsaken... and many a time, I am utterly surprised to find that I was forsaken at all. I am too caught up in myself, too caught up in what I must do, how many times I have to confess, how many times I have to pray... when sometimes all it takes is to trust.

To trust that no matter how many of the billions of people in this world know of my screw-ups, that I am still victorious. That though the scoreboard may proclaim that I am a loser, at least I lost with my heart in the arms of someone who cares. I find myself a winner, not because I have scored more, not because I have been a terrific sportsman, but because someone else has done all that for me to help me realize that life is not about the score, it is about the people.

Central Washington offers the ultimate act of sportsmanship

challenges

My, my, this is going to be a summer of challenges.

I might've just made an 11-point checklist on what I'm going to be doing this summer and how I'm going to be doing it. I'm largely clueless on how to do these things, which is a good thing.

My perfectionism tells me that I need to get it right or not do it at all. There's no room for faith; there's no room for anyone but me. It's good to do things I don't already know how to solve because there is opportunity to plunge in with faith.

There is a time for everything. This season is a time for surrender.