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Urbana 09 Part 1

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:46:26 GMT

Soo, all they hype surrounding Urbana, all the excitement and anticipation, and it’s finally here. I am in St. Louis, Missouri for Urbana!

To be honest, I didn’t know what to feel even a few days before the bus ride there. Maybe it was exam just ended (I finished on the 21st), and I was still pretty busy after they ended. The bus ride there was mainly uneventful. Talked a little, played a lot of “Contact” and then attempted to sleep. I couldn’t fall asleep at first, then when I did (at around 2ish am), Huntley woke us up for our first pit stop at….McDonalds! yay.. an unhealthy snack in the middle of the night. The stuff there was actually cheaper than the McDonalds in Canada. I had a whole meal –_-. felt so bad after, I didn’t want to sleep and leave all that …junk in my stomach, but was too tired ><

We got to St. Louis at around 10:30 (9:30 local time, it’s an hour back from Toronto). 14 hour bus ride there not too bad. 3 hours for registration. well i was done in like one hour, but complications with my roommates’ registrations and the act of trying to find and contact each other (roaming charges in usa) didnt help. got to the hotel and got me some much needed sleep as I didnt get enuff the nite before.

*im goin to start writing slang, cuz i want to sleep , gotta wake up nice and early tmr for breakfast

17k+ ppl gathering in the stadium, i was pretty excited, didnt noe wht to expect either. we got some seats near the front so pretty gud view haha.

intro, worship was great, short msg. the theme this year is “He dwelled among us”. so Christ incarnate came down to us.

I’m looking forward to this week. tbh, ive been trying to rekindle some passion and joy tht i really want and need. i need to expse myself, remind myself and see and learn more about God, His glory, His grace, to have joy and peace, and to strive to be who He made me to be. To not be someone whos worldy one day and “Christian” the next. It needs to be daily radical living, to experience Him everyday, and to constantly make the effort to be like Christ not by our own efforts but by finding strength in Him, thru His Word and His Spirit.

I need revival, and just having these 5 days to not thinking about antyhing but my relationship with God is what I think I need. ….

k now for sleep after a really roughly written and rushed blog post haha <<

CCF End of Term Sharing Night Fall 09

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:05:49 GMT

Wow, this term has went by so fast…End of term sharing night. I took notes of people's sharing, so I'll just put them up this post. They aren't as short and concise as I would want them, but I got lazy to shorten them.

I actually didn't share this term. And I might post a response to tonight in the days to come. But here are the notes. I made them as close to the original speaker's meaning, excuse any discrepancies…I also left a little early and got too tired to take notes near the end..so…..

LC
- Don't compare with other people
- It's stressful to compare yourself with others
- Ex. In school, it's not the point to just try to do better than other people in school
- Romans 9, God is the potter, He's made us for different purposes
Tim
- God has compassion and a big heart for the lost
JC
- How great of a family CCF is
- When first came to university, newly baptized Christian
- Didn't go to fellowship first year or 2A, not until 2B
- Best thing to happen in spiritual walk
- Even in past year, has learned a lot and matured a lot
- What you put into this fellowship is what you get out of it
- Not necessarily serving, but just involving yourself in this family (studying together, hanging out)
DT
- Mind blowing term
- Everything that I do/accomplish, it's God who does it
- Biggest problem à high expectations, overachieve (pride in this area, especially in school)
- Relying on own abilities to do things
- Humbling term, situations where couldn't do anything, only by Spirit was I able to do them
- Downtown experience
- With God you can do anything, not by own works but by His grace and power
- Don't deserve anything, but He gives freely as His children
- Created to do great things that He prepared in advance
- Be open to what He wants you to do
RC
- CCF has been hospitable ever first time going
- Everyone is nice
- Grew up not being open to Christianity and thinking that needed to strive for success (ie. Cars, house, etc)
- Now he knows that's not everything, there are people who are in need
- Perspective has changed
- Blessed to have good friends
- Stressed with academics/finances, but God has given me the opportunity to pursue new life
- Lots to learn about God
- Thank You all to CCF
SH
- Noticed God has been very good shepherd
- As a science 4^th year student, after undergrad, if you don't do anything, it's useless
- God has been directing me into what I want to do
- Slim chance of seeing lots of people from university after you graduate
- Through CCF, God has been helping me to distinguish between friends, acquaintances and "homies"
S
- God has brought me back to Him this term
- Originally came here as a proud person going into Mechatronics (came in with 97%)
- God has ways of breaking down people
- Started to rely on own abilities to do things
- With pride started to look down on other people
- God put me to stay longer in my program, break down my pride
- God loves you first, before thought that I could just love Him more
- Thank God that He allowed me to serve in worship
- Teaching me humility
- Prayer is to continue to walk with God and to experience Him, experience what it means to depend on Him
AT
- God breaks down your pride
- When first came to university, wanted to read the Bible before doing homework
- Was good for a little but then started losing motivation to read the Word
- Starting to become addicted to doing homework
- Need to ask God for strength to desire to read His Word more, spend more quiet time, etc
- Still struggling with that (prayer request)
MW
- Something that has been on my heart à constant bout with depression
- We always have a constant workload (different than high school)
- Put yourself back to old comforts, lose sight of why I am here
- Always something (someone) there that takes him out of these stumps à God
- He's done it before, has asked Him many times to show Himself and push me forward, and He's always answered
- God touches those who are willing to hear His Word
- Ask Him sincerely
GC
- Tough term academically
- 2B Mechatronics (hardest term for program)
  - "2B or not 2B"
- Project after project
- Simple truth: heart of thanksgiving
- Coming into term, knew it would be tough term, braced myself for the worst
- Realized only by grace of God that I am so far, only by His grace that I will pass
- Through trials and storms, have been able to say that it's not only by own efforts or strength that I am getting through
- Helped to have a greater appreciation and thankfulness for everything else in life
  - Classmates helping me get through assignments
  - Realization of parents' love for me (drive to Waterloo)
    - Treating them more as friends
  - Simple things, like food
- Be thankful for the things you have and not be focused on the things you don't have
- Look at how blessed you are, count them
D
- How God has impacted my life
- Second day of school, found out need to rely on God
- After class, freaking out on distance from Davis Centre and Hagey Hall and getting from one to the other in 10 mins
- Looking for French class, freaking out, 10 mins late for class
- A girl stopped to help me find the room
- Thank for the girl who helped me to her room
- God has showed me how to be more dependent on Him
LF
- Learning to trust in Him
- Average wasn't really at cutoff for first year
- Prayed to God and got in to Waterloo
- Not sure what I want to do
- God hasn't told me what He has planned for me
- I don't need to know, just knowing that He knows what He's doing =)
A
- Only knew one other friend from high school in the same program at Waterloo
- Felt lonely, separated from most friends
- Got to know interesting, creative people
- Never alone, always people to come around to help you
- Thankful to God that I was introduced to all the new friends
MC
- Term has been a term of transformation; changed more in 4 months than years in high school
- In high school, was an emotional person (still am)
- Had to be in "cliques", conform to groups of people in high school (otherwise was outcast)
- Felt left out, constant state of paranoia (are people talking about me? What if this person left me? Etc etc)
- Felt church was getting really dry at end of HS (criticizing church)
- Came into university with expectations to change things or to become a changed person (start with blank state)
- God has done it, can't explain how it happened (feel greatly changed, and different, unexplainable)
- Many people to thank in CCF for making me who I am
- DG has been good, been able to connect with people
- If you don't know where you are going? Feel like something is wrong?
  - What you put into CCF is what you get out of it
- Keep going for it, no matter the hardships (had more emotional and academic hardships than ever before), but going to prayer meetings, CCF, DGs, Frosh Cell has been great
MP
- Before university, not that many close friends coming into Waterloo
- Asking God who she'll be friends with
- Learned about Frosh Connexions and Frosh BBQ
- Didn't know what would happen otherwise
- Got to know roommates (like similar things), God put them there, taking care of me
- Been blessed at CCF
- God showed me I can trust in Him
- Still looking for co-op job
- 3 interviews on birthday, didn't get any of them
- CCF got me a cake for birthday during member's meeting, thankful and blessed
- Can put trust and hope in Him for good job
J
- In Grade 12, when applications were due, scared that I would not get into accounting (one program I wanted to get into)
- God has put a lot of amazing people into my life, that I admire, shows me what I can strive towards and become
- Can see how far I've come from even last year
- Usually don't really step up and talk, not very outgoing, but as this term has gone by, have gotten more outgoing to meet new people
- Gone out of comfort zone
- God has blessed me by showing me acceptance, results in risk of going out of comfort zone this term
- Lots of people coming into Waterloo say it is boring
- Glad that I can disagree with that, thankfulness to God for that
H
- At end of term, have hardly realized how amazing God, how He has put everything together
- Wanted to go to McMaster before coming to Waterloo, but couldn't
- Was disappointed and didn't want to come
- Thankful for being here right now
- Kinesiology in Waterloo has been such an amazing experience
- How great God is
- Interested and amazed in lectures
- Gave me so much confidence to talk to other people about my faith
- Never really serious before to talk about faith before university
B
- From high school to university à big transition
- Need to depend on God for guidance
- Thankful for food (caf food isn't the best but it is food), bed to sleep on
- Thankful for getting to know new people (not that outgoing)
- Gotta be thankful that we have opportunity to learn
- Was doubtful about passing (
- need 75% average, they dropped it to 70%, feels like it's God's plan
- can trust Him to get to destination with His help
HL
- Wasn't a Christian coming into Waterloo
- 2^nd year tough year
- Dad passed away from strokes
- Financial problems
- Drop out of school for a year
- Came back to Christ
- Before coming back to break, deacon from church told me to come to CCF
- Danger for froshies: transition
- 1B is harder than 1A
- 1 Corinthians 10:23
- Heads up: beginning of fight for career
- Pray hard, sleep well, get food
- Don't just study, take breaks
- Christmas coming up, end of decade, personally 10 years coming to know Christ
- Middle school to high school, teachers say count your blessings
- Started counting blessings (a lot)
- Genesis 2:7 (gift of breath, life)
- Count your blessings this Christmas and be thankful for them
- Don't take anything for granted
- Matthew 6:33
BL
- 4^th year, feel lost in life
- Don't know what to do after graduation
- Prayed to God about physiotherapy, didn't hear anything
- Instead God gave another option, stay behind another term
- Staying in summer, graduate later
- Blessed this term, in everything
  - Financially, academically
- Got lots of OSAP =)
- Best term of university life so far in terms of work
- Frosh Cell Leader this term has been blessing
- Didn't know what to expect
- Still don't know what I did this term as FC Leader
- God is showing other opportunities to serve other than worship (been doing worship all my life)
- Don't know what I will be doing next term in terms of sharing
- Excited to see what God's plan is for academics (playing around with schedule)
- Do more productive (like find a job) with time free
- Pray and there will be answer, might not be answer you're looking for, but there will be one
P
- Every year is different, in fact every term is different
- Meet new people even in fourth year
- Introduced to CCF by Steph Hadi, it has been a blessing
- Used to ask questions about God in first year
- Household, parents, Muslim and Catholic
- First year, roommate was religious, shared his experiences to me, couldn't experience them personally
- Chose to come this year to learn more
- Thankful for Gabe and Jacky (IBS)
- Didn't know anything about the Bible (just thought it was a regular book), but a lot of stuff I can relate to
- Looking forward for more
- Aunt has inspired me a lot, she has been through a lot
- She went through a lot of hardships but always had smile
- Starting to go to church
- Hearing stories are giving me hope
- Hardships are easier to go through
- Great to feel more peace after praying
DM
- Summer, working, softball, DG, every night was planned/busy
  - Only two/three days that weren't booked (looking back in summer)
- Parents didn't see me much even, didn't' sleep much (6 hrs average)
- Hardest term in university career (even counting future terms)
- Always busy
- Chair of CCF
- Looking for future job
- Always had trouble with jobs with not that good marks
- Looking for full time jobs seemed harder than co-op jobs, was worried
- God blessed me with a job after school already
- Life is hard in university
- Christianity is harder
- Started reaching a really broken state
  - Didn't show to many people
- God is always there, He is constant
- It won't be easy (life, Christianity), but it's worth
- See how God is moving and working in your life
JT
- Got into Pharmacy (will be in Waterloo for another 4 years)
- Applied last year, didn't get into for first interview
- Many of friends got into what they wanted, but I was left alone in Waterloo
- Volunteered in a hospital pharmacy, lots of volunteer, put effort in applying
- Was lost, didn't know why she didn't get in
- God built my faith during the summer
- Lots of friends and family supported me during these hard times
- Blessed to have CCF and to be in Waterloo
- Need to be trust and faith in God that He would show me His plan
- Praying continually has helped, He answers prayer, small things, big things, talking to Him as your Daddy
- Really stressful with school, midterms
- Interview didn't go as well as first one
- God broke my heart down,
- Proverbs 3:5
- Jeremiah 29:11
- James 1:2-3
- Felt joy during those time
- God is always there to look after you
JW
- Being able to plan the programs and working with other people
- Seeing the passion that other people have
- Short tempered, worked over the littlest things
- Been trying to fix that
- Trying to look at bright side to situations
- Don't know what I want to do after graduation
- Trusting in God that He has a plan for everything
- Teacher's college?
- Like kids
- Need to be patient with them
- Learning patience this term
DC
- Reminder to have faith
- Want to pursue that
- Christianity is all about faith
- Finding co-op job was really hard
- Only 60% of students could find job
- Started to get worried about it, doubting if I was in the right program
- God takes care of His children, He never loses sight of us
- Google'd for a clinic to look for jobs outside of jobmine
- First result, emailed, got an interview and got the job
- The urgency of the times, we don't know when Jesus will return
- We don't know how long we have to live
- Our lives are fragile and delicate, a gift
- Wanted to try harder to reach out to friends
- Need to make the most of every opportunity and not back out of one because you're afraid, etc
- When you put your faith in God, and your friends see it, that's when you can reach out to them
- Living a faithful life, people will see that you are different à opportunity to witness your faith
AT
- Want to see revival
- Sing songs like "Hosanna" , but we don't actually see those things happening
- Saw video about Christmas "Advent Conspiracy" viral video
- We have to have action and not just pray about it
JC
- Last winter sharing night, shared about being waitlisted for optometry
- James 1
- During summer, instead of working, just studied for MCAT and optometry test
- Got depressed, didn't think did well on MCAT
- Didn't really feel like studying
- After softball game, team prayed for me, felt sudden confidence
- Got good on optometry test
- One prayer from softball team lifted me up
- October, got an email for an offer for interview
- November, found out needed a reference letter to get into the school
- Didn't have much time to get it in, prayed to God, and lifted it up to God
- By God's grace, mother checked email really early the next morning, and faxed in the letter
- Trust in the Lord
- Proverbs 16:9
RB
- In first year, CS course was stressful
- Thought second year would be lighter, but this term hasn't been the smoothest with school, marking and jobmine
- Felt overwhelmed during whole term
- Started doubting God, didn't know what to do
- During joint fellowship with LCCF, someone prayed for me, and told me to keep seeking after God
- Got back to reading the Word consistently
- Psalm 46
- You need to be still and believe in Him
KU
- Returning student
- Started off in systems eng
- Always struggled with depression, thought he could do it
- Got crushed in university, did everything you can do to get kicked out
- Got into York, God was showing me to move forward again
- When everything is always changing, wait on God
- Don't waste your life, do something
MC
- Change from high school to university
- Didn't expect a friendship to change between a brother from church this term
- Used to have this synergy and be able to know each other's thoughts
- Served together in fellowship
- In summer, a lot of tension between us
- Made a mistake applying to residence
- Got into MKV, had to opt out of it because of financial issues
- Couldn't look at each other anymore without being with someone else
- Happened again here in university
- Same schedule, saw each other all the time
- The way we saw each other changed, stopped hanging out and talking with each other
- Came to a point where I wanted to let go of the friendship
- Asked God to show up
- Decided to meet up regularly and we are talking again
- Really glad, felt like it was all darkness before
- God is good, God of reconciliation, we were prayer for each other without even knowing
MW
- Normally an easy going guy, and like to chill
- If you're upset with something, just say it
- "When you put the thought of community above community itself, you destroy community."
- Came into 2^nd year expecting the same community as in 1^st year
- Disappointed in lack of community
- I felt like I was idealizing the idea of better community
- We all need to make the effort of building more community and unity
- To be able to walk this walk with each other, not just by yourself
- Christian faith not designed to be walked by yourself, need brothers and sisters to keep you accountable
- Feel like we are missing unity in the fellowship
- Feel like we are all segregated, the fellowship as a whole can't do anything without all the parts
- Acts 2, early church would meet up everyday and share possessions
- People came and God added to their numbers daily; we are missing that as the body of Christ
- "If you want to see change, you have to be the change you want to see." -Derek Yau
MW
- Found CCF really beneficial
- Pushed myself to go more in 2^nd year
- God also hammered pride this term
- Bombed on interviews
- Looked at interview list, only saw one English name (the rest were interviews), thought could get through interview easily and would ace it
- God humbled me in a big way during the interview
- Still don't have a job right now, nor interviews
- But am happy, feel humbled

CCF Open Mic Sharing Night

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:49:01 GMT

So this Friday at CCF, we had a Sharing Night where anyone could just come up and share about how God is working in their lives. As always it was an encouraging night. I’ve always liked it when we’ve had sharing nights at CCF. Being able to hear about the faithfulness and awesomeness of God in other people’s lives really does help in my own walk. For me especially, spiritually lately, I haven’t been the greatest, and my walk hasn’t been exactly eventful either. I had been slipping little by little throughout most of the term. This week hasn’t been too bad, but I have lots of expectations for myself and I know I have lots to fix and lots to do to reach the full potential that God has for me. I was thinking of sharing and felt like I should, but there wasn’t much time, and I still have to see what God has in store for me…we will see.. =D

Anyways I took some notes for the night and here they are. I’ve also recorded the audio for everyone that shared, so if you want to hear them or you missed the night, just send me an email at jamvng@gmail.com and if I get permission from the “sharer” I can send it to you. =) Also, for those that shared, if there are any discrepancies between my notes and what you meant, PLEASE tell me. o and excuse the really rough notes..might have bad grammar and stuff at times hehe….

CY
- hard to forgive myself
- other times proud of who I am
- don't compare with others, no need to
- other's "rubric" is different than God's "rubric" for us
- we are all unique
- learn from others (different than measuring ourselves to others)
- "iron sharpening iron", purpose of tonight, to build each other up
- when God is faithful to one of us, we should share our joy with others
- Jeremiah 29:11
- never take our eyes off of Jesus
- not just us trying our best to focus on Him, but to get to the point where we can't help ourselves to

SH
- God made us and loves us the way we are
- we are God's children
- read God’s letter of love for us (ask for the audio recording if you want to hear it =D)

LC
- thankful for CCf even though is only frosh
- convicted to go into mathematical physics in high school to explore more of His creation
- didn't think he would get into university because of low english marks, but God gave 76% when the cutoff was 75%
- Proverbs 3:5
- trust in the Lord with everything he has
- got the 80% he needed in Euclid to get into advanced courses (got exactly 80%)
- God arranged good roommates (thankful)
- proud of marks, thought he would do well, but it wasn't that easy...almost failed first midterm in advanced CS course when he thought he could handle it
- God used school to humble him, remembered Proverbs 3:5, give school up to His hands
- 2nd midterm, God gave me JUST enough to pass course
- need to trust in God and He will lead you

DT
- God can use you in ways you can't imagine
- last weekend, studied with friends downtown
- went for dinner, stopped at Popeyes, but restaurant was closing, so they went to Pizza Nova
- man walked in with really baggy clothes
- asked them for change, looked really intimidating
- ended up having enough money for pizza
- looked really sad, asked for ambulance
- store owner didn't want him in the store
- he suddenly said he wanted to commit suicide
- froze, friends were rushed to leave, but couldn't leave/move
- felt conviction from Spirit to move and speak to him
- went up to him and asked if he wanted a drink, gave me change and got him a drink
- he said Thank you and God Bless
- asked if he was ok
- talked about how everything wasn't going right
- he was a believer and told how God has saved his life many many times (4 near death experiences)
- felt his brokenness and hurt
- he couldn't hold on anymore
- told him to take more time with God (gave him Bible) and to really think about how much God loves him
- felt his pain and started crying
- reminded him of God's love for him and His faithfulness, need to seek Him, know that God is with you
- man said he would have faith because I told him to
- all felt like it was completely planned by God
- it was the Spirit that gave me the boldness to act on what God told me to go
- our God is powerful and do so many things in our lives, and work through us powerfully

see her blog post for more detail =D CLICK here

MW
- feels like his life is a rat race
- life is boring, asked God for excitement
- God gave him excitement, almost got in trouble with UW police, but God saves
- God will answer your prayers even if it is in an unexpected way

EK
- this term is her billowing seas
- past term (winter) everything was well, got into optom, good boyfriend, growing in relationship with God
- thought this term would be the same
- had expectations, but God shattered expectations
- no one to depend on
- beginning of term, faith was tested
- asked myself if my faith was even genuine
- keep on striving to the point of agonizing for your faith
- because if you don't fight for it, how can you say you're a Christian
- your perseverance in this race is a testament to God's faithfulness
- learnt what it means to trust in God
- faithfulness of God is so true, you see it throughout the Bible
- Jude 24

A
- "When you don't believe in yourself, God will"
- why I am not more thankful?
- have been trying to find a job before graduating
- it used to be that when you're an engineer you could find a job right after, but last year only 25% could
- asked himself why is he not getting a job
- God has blessed me by coming to Waterloo
- didn't know anyone, went to Clubs Day, looking for Christian fellowship
- someone told him that engineers are "builders of men" (sorta like when Jesus said that we are fishers of men)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I want to point out also that Brian Lee also shared a song and passage after hearing Diana’s sharing. Isaiah 61 (go read it) and “From Ashes to Beauty” by The Vine Band.

The spirit of the sovereign Lord
Is on me now
To love, to speak, to heal, to preach
The spirit of the sovereign Lord
Is on me now
Giving Life

You turn ashes to beauty
Mourning to dancing
Anguish to songs of praise

Pour your spirit over me
Let your love rain down
Would you take these hands of mine
And use me
Pour your spirit over me
Let your love rain down
Would you take these feet of mine
And lead me

The spirit of the sovereign Lord
Is on me
To go, to free, to give, to feed
The spirit of the sovereign Lord
Is on me now
Spreading love

I really like this song after listening to it again and checking the lyrics. It resonates with me and my passions. Admittedly, this term I haven’t been doing super well spiritually and I haven’t done much to fulfill Isaiah 61. But I pray that by God’s grace, that I can find the joy in Him again and revive my passion for the lost.

life direction

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:01:55 GMT

Where am I going? Where will I be in a year? 2 years? 5 years?

Where do my true passions lie? What do I really really want to do and like to do? What has God called me to do?

Picking courses, I don't want to take any courses that will be useless (it feels like a waste of money). Not knowing what I want to do or be, it's so hard to judge on what courses I should be taking. Especially after last year, when I was in Physics, I don't know if it's the right thing for me anymore. I took some bio courses this term..but should I be doing that? First lectures are done, I find it interesting so far (and it's not as hard as physics ahah), but still, I don't know... Do I want to be in the medical/bio field?

From high school, I've always liked science and computers. For the latter, its the reason why I'm taking a CS course this term, but science...even in high school, I like all 3 disciplines (bio, chem, physics). sigh..

I'm trying to find a course to swap Calc 3 (MATH 227) out of, because it's useless for me if I don't plan on getting back into Physics. I've been planning to just stay in Honours Science. But then it gives me so much options..I duno which courses to take. I dont want to just take a random bird course, because last year felt like i wasted so much time already, I want to just get into it and take the courses I need for whatever I need to go into...

I know God has a plan for me, and that all this, everything that has happened, is to develop me and guide me to where I should be...I'm going to work hard in whatever I do...

=/ I STILL DON'T KNOW WHT COURSE TO TAKE!!! (swap calc for whttt)...i shud do it asap..

EDIT: swapped it for HLTH 101..seems interesting, and more useful..

God Is the Strength of My Heart

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:16:37 GMT

"Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever."

Psalm 73:26

LOVE - Jaeson Ma

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:33:59 GMT

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:40:52 GMT

A Not So Typical Response to a Typical Homeless Man | revelife

new life

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:41:55 GMT

gosh, it's so easy to fall back to the old way of living with excuses of "tiredness", "indifference", "apathy"...

need to constantly remind myself of the way I should be living, the (many) things I need to do, the urgency that needs to be had in everything..

we have a new life in Christ...bring glory to God...

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:1

Prayer - Essential

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:18:04 GMT

Jaeson Ma, if you haven't heard of him, is a youth pastor in the States. jaesonma.com
His testimony is encouraging, so if you heard of him or seen his sermons, check them out.

Anyways, I follow him on Twitter (www.twitter.com/jaesonma), and just saw a streak of tweets that I just wanted to share.

Jaeson Ma's Tweets:

Busyness is the enemy of Intimacy w/ God. Choose your appointments wisely, make your time w/ God #1 each day, schedule it in b4 nething else

Now enough talk. I'm going into my prayer closet to pray and seek God's face! Psalm 27:4 "one thing I desire this is what I seek..GOD!"

I prayed for the last 1.5 hours, in the beginning there was a lot on my heart, I had to wait on the Lord till the burden lifted. Pray until.

This is a key in prayer. You must pray till you experience breakthrough in your spirit man. Until you feel an overwhelming peace come over u

Prayer is not just talking. Prayer is not just listening. Prayer is communing from your spirit to His Spirit. It's worship in spirit & truth

Prayer is not complete till you become one with His Spirit. Where the two become so intertwined that you are in Him and He is in you.

Prayer is union with God. When you reach this level of union you have truly prayed & transcended the physical to the spiritual. We must pray

as @mchammer once said "WE GOT TO PRAY JUST TO MAKE IT TODAY!"

Persistent Prayer

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:05:41 GMT

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Luke 18:1-8

Yesterday, went to TO to have dinner w/ froshies as well as softball/bubble tea with CCF'ers. It was nice to see some people that I haven't seen in awhile and just to hang out. Though it was a little disappointing that by the time froshies got to the baseball diamond, it was too dark to play anymore =(. Ah well next time haha.

Sophie drove me home last night. Had a good conversation on the way home. The meat of it was about prayer and healing. Last term (spring term), CCF had daily prayer for Mandy's mother and for healing. I won't get into the complicated issue of prayer/faith/healer but the thing that did stick out to me was that everyone was passionate in coming to God in prayer.

I think that corporate prayer is something that was a little lacking in my first year, prayer meetings were always the most attended. Just looking at the parable of the persistent prayer. How often do we pray for something constantly, everyday. Or even multiple times throughout the day. Part of the power of a family of believers is that we can come together and talk to our Father. When I heard of the persistent prayer that CCF had towards this in the summer (prayer meetings EVERYDAY), I thought to myself, why not next term, why not all the time, whether individually or corporately. With all the passion in the fellowship for outreach, caring and serving, the prayer is all the more important. Especially for me, with God burdening me with outreach and caring, it really is a great need that we so easily pass over. Prayer is like the fuel of outreach in a sense, without praying for God's strength and Spirit, we won't be able to speak or make the most of every opportunity as well. Persistent group prayer is even more powerful. To get together regurlarly and pray for the campus, the city, the world. For the hurt and for God to move, for His power because we cannot do it alone.

I talked to Mikee before about what he wanted to do next term awhile back. He stated that he wanted to start with prayer...and he's completely right. Prayer is what needs to be done before we think of bigger things in the campus; it's essential....