Would You Improv For God?

Are you one of the 5 Million + viewers who have checked out the 'Frozen Grand Central Station' You Tube video?

If you have seen it, you probably had some of the same reactions as I did. It's both fascinating and freaky weird as you see 200 improv actors simultaneously freeze in place at one of the busiest places on planet earth. They are 'frozen' in mid-step, picking up papers, and all of them have obviously been trained well to stay as motionless as possible.

I'm sure the stunt brought mixed reviews. You could see that some were annoyed (i.e., those with little to no sense of humor) - and others were probably convinced the aliens had finally landed and commenced with their global body snatching plan (i.e., those with way too much free time).

Would you ever do something like that? I think I might enjoy being part of a harmless public stunt - except of course in Grand Central Station, where I'm pretty sure you'd get your wallet or purse stolen if you froze for even 5 seconds.

It seems to me that most people just go about the daily grind with little outside thought until something creative and radical happens. It also seems to me that this is true in a spiritual sense with your friends who don't know Christ as well. Sure, maybe you've had a few 'talks' about God, but after a while it gets in a rut, and you never seem to get beyond a certain point - right?

Ah - but this video gives me an idea that just might help you in this area. No, freezing in place in a crowded public area is not what I had in mind, but doing something creative and radical for God publicly in front of your friends is one of the best 'rut killers' around. For most people these days, the God talk tends to remain just that...talk...that is until it's backed up with radical action.

And it's not like this is a new plan or anything. It's actually one of the primary strategies that people in the Bible have used for centuries. Here's a short list:

Noah - built a gihugical boat. How is that radical? Well, since it had probably never rained or flooded before, the entire population of the world thought Noah was one French fry short of a Happy Meal. But aren't you glad he went ahead with his public project? Yep, he saved civilization.

Joseph - dared to tell the Pharaoh of Egypt that he could interpret dreams. If he blew it, he'd be toast inside a few seconds. But he went ahead with the triple dog dare, and - oh yes, saved civilization.

Daniel - threw open the shutters of his home and prayed to the God that was despised by the all his neighbors - even though it could bring him the death penalty. And it did. Only instead of death, he gained some new furry friends in the lion's den.

I could go on and on - but do you know who completed the most radical and life changing public act of all time? You guessed it - God Himself. He was so desperate and crazy in love with the people of planet earth that He came down here wrapped in flesh. He lived a perfect public (and private) life, led a miraculous public ministry (can you say feeding 5000 folks from 5 loaves of bread and two sardines?), and of course, He died one of the most cruel - and public- deaths that you could ever imagine. Oh yeah, then He came back from the grave and appeared in public to over 500 people in 40 days.

Talk about a radical and creative way to get people's attention for God!

And it worked. Now it's your turn. Auction off your iPod to give money to the poor, skip a movie and volunteer at a homeless shelter. Start a public blog that does nothing but investigate the claims of Jesus. Pass out pro-life flyers near an abortion clinic. Use your imagination - but keep it completely motivated by this message:

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Freezing in Grand Central Station is cool - but even cooler would be to do something that caught the attention of people around you and turned it - not to You Tube...but to the God who wants an eternal relationship with them.

Head: What you need to know about this truth

People who don't have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ need to see radical and creative evidence of vital and authentic Christianity.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Simple question: If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough physical evidence to convict you? If not - perhaps it's time for a heart check and a lifestyle shift.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Write down a few ideas you have about radical and creative ways to show the world that you are a Christian, then get together with your youth leader and youth group to discuss how you could put those ideas into action.
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The above article came from www.dare2share.org

Fools For God's Kingdom

Yesterday afternoon I prayed before I went on campus invasion.

I saw a vision of myself tossing fistfuls of heart-shaped seeds into the soil here and there. Then gigantic trees, enormous flowers, and other exotic plants started to sprout from the ground with astonishing speed, turning the barren land into an abundant garden.

A garden of God's love.

I was so excited.

And so I left my dorm and walked towards the main campus. Before I even left the residential area I met my friend Mary.

"Hey Alice, going to class?" she asked
"No...um...just, taking a walk" I answered

So Mary decided to come along. I didn't have the courage to tell her I was on a mission to pray for strangers. She would think I'm a religious nut, a freak! I thought to myself.

We went to Starbucks, got drinks, then went on a walk at Mesa Court (a really nice residential place with lots of artsy stuff, picnic areas, etc.)

Wait, what are you doing Alice? You're suppose to do campus invasion!...Never mind, then at least use this time to share your testimony with Mary!

But in the end, after all the internal struggle, I didn't share anything about Jesus or how He changed my life to Mary.

Afterwards, exhausted and frustrated, I sat down in my room and remembered what Jaeson Ma said during the Supernatural On Campus Conference:

"The Lord gave me the words, 'Killed In Action'. He killed my reputation, pride, and desire to be respected by Christians on that campus...We have no reputation when we go out to evangelize, we are fools for God's kingdom!"

Lord please forgive my pride, once again I forgot that I was supposed to carry my cross and follow You at all costs (even if it meant having Mary think I'm weird or being rejected by strangers)

God! Love means giving without holding back! Jesus Your love was so strong that no amount of suffering could stop You! Lord please help me to love like You do!

I have got to realize that it is normal and expected to be persecuted and hated by all men if I were to share the gospel. I'm not even hated and already I'm scared. Jesus You loved, You healed, You taught, You saved, You gave Your all! God help me to follow You to the end, help me to be bold in loving Your people and telling them about Your Son, Jesus Christ.

"I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak..." (Ezekiel 34: 16)

It's ALL ABOUT HIS LOVE!!

After writing class I went back to my dorm and started to pray for my school.

The small room was stuffy and my stomach was growling, but once I opened my mouth to praise Him, everything else melted away and it was just me and God.

As I paced back and forth, I saw the scripture I posted on my wall:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
(Matthew9:35~36)

And my heart started pounding; I mean, the Almighty came down Himself to heal His people and tell them of the good news. Jesus was filled with love and compassion when He looked at His people; His heart was moved when He saw how harassed and helpless His beloved children were!

Lord please let me see what You see and feel what You feel! Fill me with Your compassion, that I'll have the boldness to pray for strangers, to release Your power of healing, of signs and wonders in my school!...God, it's ALL ABOUT YOUR LOVE!...Jesus, it's ALL ABOUT YOUR LOVE for Your children!...Lord let Your love flow in this place, let Your love sweep across the whole campus that the roots of darkness, the roots of spiritual strongholds will be dug out and burnt!

We need Your love so much God! We need Your salvation, Jesus! Lord let me be a channel of love, that I'll love Your people!

It is time to start a Love Movement, in our schools, workplaces, and families! Because it is not about us, but ALL ABOUT HIS LOVE!

Is God Cruel?

When I read Joshuah 6~10, I was shocked by all the bloody and violent wars, the way Joshuah slaughtered the people young and old, stoned a sinner along with his wife and children to death, hung the dead bodies of the kings he killed, etc. It was scary, cruel, and disturbing.

"How could You be so cruel Lord? You don't even spare the widowed, the elderly, or the young. Why should that sinner's innocent children and wife suffer such a torturous death? If that's what people who disobey You deserve, then no one on this earth can escape Your wrath. Would You have slaughtered me as well for my sins?"

At first I thought it was so wrong and savage and @#@$% for God to just kill and kill in the Old Testament, but then I remembered that God is the One who gave life, and He has every right to take it away.

Then I realized just how patient and merciful God has been with the world today. I mean, in the Old Testament, people get killed for the "smallest" sins. Yet right now the earth is covered with sins: child prostitution, abortion, idol worship, and things that should have caused God to wipe out the entire human race. The Old Testament showed me just how horrid and unacceptable sin is to God.

Lord You are just and right in all You do, I praise You for Jesus Christ, for Your mercy, Your grace, and Your salvation. Lord bless America, have mercy on this nation, and turn her around from sin. Jesus may You use Your people to shine the light of Christ's love onto America, and to bring more souls to salvation.

Like Pastor Kong Hee said, "How do we push back the darkness? By taking cities for God; whenever one soul gets saved, that city gets a little brighter". Lord I pray that Your love will chase away the darkness one soul at a time, one city at a time, one region at a time.

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." (John12:46)

A Lesson For A Control Freak

Ha ha! I am BACK! I haven't blogged for almost TWO months, bad Alice.

But God is good (changing the subject), and here's what's been going on:

The Lord has been shaping me, renewing me, and teaching me. He taught me that I had been self-centered in the past, always praying for what I want and not what He wants.

I want to be mature, I want to love more, I want to have the strength to go on, I want to be more diligent, I want to be closer to You, I want to feel Your love, I want to ace that midterm, I want my Dad to be saved...

Me, me, me, me, me, it was all about my desires. I was unwilling to listen to God, unwilling to let Him be the Lord in my life. I mean praying about those things are good, but my prayers lacked a very important thing: listening to Jesus. I wanted to control my own life instead of letting God take control.

The Lord reminded me to once again pray for His guidance, for His will, for His plans for me and to listen to Him.

I have sort of treated Jesus like a genie, whom I can pray to for my wishes to come true. It's time to stop all that nonsense and to let Jesus be the Lord in my life again.

Father what do You want to do in my life this year? What do you want to do in my school? What do you want me to do in Impact, in seven eleven?

Thank You Jesus, for being such a good leader of air-head followers like me! God You are good! You are always GOOD!

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me. You right hand will hold me fast." (Psalms139: 9~10)

Sunday Service

GOOD LUCK ON FINALS GUYS!! YOU CAN DO IT!!

Wow, today's worship was just heavenly! I feel like I haven't worshiped so freely for a while and this afternoon the Holy Spirit just made my heart burn for God. Lord I can sing of Your love forever!

Pastor David's sharing completely blew me away. I had been praying to God to tell me what my calling is and to help me live a disciplined and purpose-driven life, so today's message on goals and Pastor David's prayer gave me God's answer. Hallelujah!

Importance of goals:
Goals determine our attitude. Attitude determines our sense of joy. That sense of joy determines our sense of purpose. Many people in this world live like football athletes running around and hitting each other aimlessly. We need to set goals to know where to run! We need to set our end zones right so nothing in this world will be able to shake us. We won't be drown by this world because God has shown us the light.

Two end zones that we will/must go after for the rest of our lives if we love Jesus:

1.First End Zone: Build Up God's Kingdom: We need to prepare for the harvest by building God's system so people will see His light.

• Billions Will Be Saved: In Revelation7:9~15, John saw countless people before God's throne. These people were all saved during the Tribulation. City after city will surrender to God in a matter of days as nation after nation will turn to Him before Christ returns. If ten billion will be saved in seven years that means three millions will accept God as their personal savior every day!! This is incredible! I'm so excited!
• The Need For A "God System": Yet the Tribulation is also a time of great darkness; the anti-Christ will take over and rule this earth with one government. To counter that, the people of God needs to start building a global system of refuge that will offer a way out of the anti-Christ' network. Billions don't get saved because big churches are build or holy preachers are raised; they will get saved if we would build up God's network on earth. We are called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We need to establish a system not of this world but of heaven.
• Building His Kingdom Now: A kingdom is made of government, education, and economy. It takes a lot of money to build a kingdom, but God desires many of us to have the wealth of Babylon to build up the system. God will use us as key people to turn kings' hearts to God's kingdom. That's why we need to study hard in school so in the future we can connect with CEO's of global companies that dominate the world. We need God's people to rise up in every area: in the government, in the education system, and in the economy. God will use the world's system to equip us, and we need to do all we can to learn so we can invest into God's kingdom. This is not the time to slack off, this is a time to work hard. We need to excel above our peers because we are going to build a system not of this world. There is a calling to take leadership and build up God's network, a network built for the sake of saving souls.

2. Second End Zone: Jesus' Millennium: Everything we do today needs to be built into the Kingdom of light and last forever into eternity.

• There will be a flood that washes everything away when Christ returns. When the flood comes everything will perish, but the system we built in this world for God will stand. Everything we do will stand strong so when Christ comes, He will not destroy it, and will build His millennium kingdom on it. That's what it means to build for the eternal kingdom.

It is time for us to shift our reliance on the systems of this world to the kingdom of God, because the world will soon come under Satan's control. If we build our confidence on the world, we are building our houses on sand. We need to build our house on Jesus, the Rock.

Let's run toward these two end zones and follow Jesus!

THIS IS TOO FUNNY

Hahaha, o man, I had to share this with y'all. Tarah, my STI prayer group leader, kept in touch with us through email, and here's one of them:

These are HILARIOUS!!!

They're Back! Those wonderful Church Bulletins!
These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water."
The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not come this way again," giving obvious pleasure to many in the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be try outs for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may beseen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would end him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Pastor Updyke unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday with the slogan: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."

Sunday Service

We had some awesome testimonies today; Sarah led a friend to Christ through msn, John and several other Supernatural On Campus comrades encountered the Holy Spirit through wholehearted worship, and Amy took a leap of faith out of her comfort zone to pray for a waiter at Shakey's Pizza! I'm so encouraged by what John did at UCSD, I want to gather with other sisters and brothers in Christ in UCI as well!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK (got it from Saturday's ministry meeting): 515. Meet 5 new friends this week and get their information. Share the gospel to at least 1 of the new friends. Stay in contact through whatever means (texting, emailing, calling, mailing an Impact postcard, and instant messaging) with the 5 new friends. Wow, this is what I call living a focused life!

Today Jack's topic is: "God is Our Foundation"

He Commanded us to GO: In Acts 21, the disciples traveled to different places. These Christ followers believe that everywhere they go, there are nonbelievers who need Jesus' salvation. The disciples' mission was simply to spread the gospel. God will do miracles through us, but only when we are willing to stand up and go. In Matthew28:19, Jesus gave His people the great commission; He didn't say, "stay and study my Word first," Jesus told them to "Go! Go out there and make disciples of all nations!" It is time to reap the harvest for God's kingdom, and we cannot afford to waste anymore time waiting until we are "ready" to do God's work.

Paul Declared That God Is His Foundation: So anyway, Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem, but all the disciples pleaded with him not to go. There are many people persecuting and attempting to kill the apostle. A prophet also urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem, yet Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."(v.13) Paul was eager for His Lord to be known and he had already given everything up for God long ago. Paul is declaring, "My God is good! I build my faith upon the rock, the Lord is my foundation!"

Worshiping Him In The Wilderness: The name of our God is Foundation. In Isaiah28:16, God built the cornerstones on Zion. God loved that place so much because David worshiped Him there constantly. Though Zion is a deserted place, the Lord called it His dwelling place. Where is our Zion? God wants to meet us in our spiritual wilderness. The wilderness is God's invitation to us to encounter Him in the most intimate way. When we are most weak we'll hunger after the Lord more and God will respond to our cry.

God Is Smiling At Us: When we are dry in the spirit, when we are feeling hopeless, when depression is overwhelming us, God is there, shining His smile at us and trying to cheer us up. Such tender love! Imagine the Creator of heaven and earth, the Almighty God, the Holy One, kneeling down besides His fallen child and doing everything to let His beloved know that everything will be alright, that He will make the pain go away, and that He will never abandon the child. In Psalm42, the psalmist cries out to God in his distress and marvels at how kind the Lord's countenance is. When we fail in life, when others criticize us, when everything seems to be falling apart, we can turn to God, and find Him smiling down at us, comforting and encouraging us.

A Pastor's Dream: In heaven, the servants of God lined up and offered their sacrifices to God with their faces down. The Lord went from one servant to another, carrying a torch in His hand and setting each offering on fire. Some offerings got burnt to ashes completely, some only partly, and those servants wept with sorrow. When the Lord approached the pastor, he woke up from his dream, terrified. What kind of foundation are we building for our lives? Will it withstand the test in the end? Our lives need to be based on Jesus Christ, the foundation God laid down for us, or else we will be like fools building houses on sand, and when a tsunami comes the house will immediately crumble.

But as always, Jack "saved" the best for the last (we love you Jack!), here are his main points:

1. Foundation Provides Security: Jesus is our security. His insurance policy is forever free, forever guaranteed, and has the best service! God wants us to live a worry-free life. Worry is actually a sin because when we worry we are not trusting in God. The church in Redding proclaimed that Redding is a cancer-free city because in God's kingdom there is no illness! Let's proclaim that the cities we live in are worry-free zones! Long Beach, Bakersfield, Riverside, San Gabriel, Pasadena, Irvine, and San Diego are worry-free zones in the name of Jesus!

2. Foundation Brings Hope: God's unfailing love brings us hope. His love is patient, it endures, and it suffers long. God brings us new hope daily. He doesn't toss us a second hand or used hope, He always gives us brand new hope! We have hope in God, that whatever we build upon our foundation in Christ will stand firm to the end.

3. Foundation Never Fails: the world will fade away, but God's Word will remain. In Isaiah54:10~11, God declared that His unfailing love will never be shaken, and that He will build us with sapphire and stones of turquoise. Sapphire symbolizes love and longing! The Lord longs for us with great affection. Stones of turquoise stand for friendship and consistency in relationship. Wow, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords calls us His beloved friend! This is awesome!

God I want to build my life on this rock instead of sand, Lord be the fire in me, be the purpose of my life!

A Beautiful Day

God I love You, You're so beautiful!

I loved the rain today, it's so cool and refreshing. As I walked to class, I saw how the trees and flowers are flourishing in the shower, and I could hear all creations singing praises to our God. Jesus, thank You for Your beautiful creations, thank You for Your abundant love, thank You for Your goodness, thank You for Your grace.

Before I went into the classroom, a lady gave me a tiny brochure. "The Evidence of God" the title read, and my heart bounded a little faster. Alright, people are spreading the gospel! I thought. Sadly, the girl walking ahead of me took one glance at the brochure and tossed it into the trashcan.

The brochure tells of the story of how a former atheist come to encounter God. Lee was a strong believer in Evolution and rejected Creationism completely, yet after a mass amount of research, Lee found Evolution not only lacking much evidence but quite unreasonable as well.

Lord I pray for Your truth to be know on my campus, let more people's hearts be changed and turn to You! Reach Your hand into this school!

Let Fire Fall Down On My Campus

Thank You Jesus!

Isabel, my hallmate, actually invited me to a Bible study group!! A friend from Orchestra (Isabel plays the cello) brought her there. "I'm not really believing yet," she said, "but I'm curious. So how did you come to believe in God?" I shared with her about how I got saved three years ago and how God's love has been transforming me and others around me. I am so excited for her! At the same time I feel ashamed; I haven't been praying for her or trying to win her for the Lord, and she turned out to be the one asking me to a Bible study group! God You are GOOD! Help me to lead her to You. Unfortunately Bible study seemed to be canceled this week, hope we can go together next week!

Today I prayed for Cindy, Isabel's roommate, who has been very very sick this week. She didn't stop coughing after I prayed for her, but I know God is healing her. Our God is a God who heals!

Jesus I love You, please give me a compassionate heart for the lost, and use me to bring Your people to You.

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anoints us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 1:20~23)

Lord Am I Ugly?

I had always wanted to be skinny.

I would look at others around me and envy. There were periods of time when I wanted to be skinny so bad that I was willing to do anything to lose weight. During the Thanksgiving break, that desire exploded in me. I limited myself to eating only main meals (my mom will kill me if I don't eat) and vowed that I'll starve myself once I return to school. I hated my fat body.

Last night I felt overwhelmed by loneliness and self-condemnation. I came before God. I struggled as I told my Lord about the countless times I've looked in the mirror and said,"You are so ugly with your small eyes, stupid glasses, pimples, and fat body!", about how I was so jealous of those pretty girls with their perfect bodies, and about how I wanted to starve myself.

"God!" I cried out, "Help me! I am sinning against You with my rebellious heart! God I need You! I'm losing it! I want to have a healthy self-image, I want to look at myself the way You do, I want to believe that I am beautiful in Your eyes, but I just can't! I can't! Lord help me to surrender my all to You once again..." I was sobbing, I felt so ugly, so hurt.

Then I heard Him, clear as if He was right there with me,

"I am your Shepherd, I am your Father, you belong to me, I'll take care of you..."

Immediately I felt a wave of peace washing over me, calming the storm inside of me. I felt His hand lifting the burden from my heart. I felt Him pouring new strength into me. My Heavenly Father was holding me in His loving arms, telling me over and over again that I was His own and that He'll take care of me. Tears streamed down my face as I feel my heart being healed by God.

This isn't going to be easy. It will take time. But my Lord will be there helping me to recover a healthy self-image, He will be there guiding me on the right path. God has given me the strength to choose eating healthy and exercising regularly instead of starving myself.

God I pray for everyone who feels ugly and worthless. I pray for those who feel they are too fat, too skinny, too tall, or too short. God please fill them with Your love. Lord, in this society that constantly distort our perception of beauty, it is so hard to feel beautiful and valuable. It is so hurtful. Jesus please help us, help us to know that You see beyond our physical appearances, that You treasure us simply because we are Yours. God please heal those suffering from eating disorders, depression, and drug addiction. Lord free the prisoners! God Your grace is strong enough!

Jesus thank You, thank You for giving me hope, faith, and new strength. Abba Father I love You!

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death." (Psalms68:19~20)

And now I'm going to go eat some fruit :)

"Your beauty...should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1Peter3:3~4)

Sunday Service

Hey! Wasn't today's worship beautiful? It touched my heart so much; I was reminded to thank Jesus for all His love and grace. Thank You Lord!

Today Jack reminded us again that the Holy Spirit is still writing the book of Acts even now: how Sarah prayed for the sick at Rite Aid, how Stephanie heard God telling her about the science building, how Eric encountered the Lord in his morning jog, how Jasmine and Monay testified for God at UCLA...will all be eagerly recorded down by the Holy Spirit. We need to put our antenna up and constantly listen to what God has to say to us.

Joke of the Week: Paul was teaching on the third floor of a building, and a young man sitting by the window dozed off (perhaps he partied too hard last night). The sleepyhead fell out of the window and plunged to his death. Paul immediately ran down and God raised the man from death (cool! they didn't even need to dial 911!)--Acts 20: 7~12

Moral of the Story: Don't fall asleep when your pastor is preaching, you never what will happen to you.

This hilarious but true story also shows us what our generation is like: sleeping and being killed off one by one by the enemy. We will see more and more signs and wonders toward the end of times. The devil will do everything in his power to corrupt this generation; he is raising up an army. What are we going to do about it? We are either on God's side or on Satan's side, there is no middle ground. Either we have oil in our lamp or we don't. It's a yes or no. We must develop a close relationship with God!

But Jack saved the best for last, his topic for today is actually about criticism.

How To Overcome Criticism

1. Know that our God is Jehovah Tsidkenu, God is our righteousness. When others criticize or misunderstand us, we need to turn to God, who will take our cases and carry out justice for us.

2. Know that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). When people stab us in the back with cruel remarks, we can forgive instead of take revenge by stabbing back. We can demonstrate God's love by blessing those who mistreat us. Rather than punching the light out of your friend when she laughs at your bad haircut, forgive and compliment her haircut; rather than shouting at your dad when he criticizes your "inappropriate" outfit for the hundredth time, think about how he made that remark out of love and thank him for his concern; rather than ambushing the king Saul in your life, put everything in God's hands.

3. Rejoice in our Heavenly Father's love for us. God doesn't tell us to shut up when we cry. He grieves with us when we are hurt by other people's criticisms. Jesus comforts and tries to cheer us up when we cry. Remember this image: a father trying to ease his child's pain by tickling him, that is our loving God.

Overcoming criticism also requires humility. Paul has been persecuted and criticized everywhere he went, yet he never gave up. How did he do it? Here's Paul's secret: "I serve the Lord with great humility and with tears..." (Acts 20:19). Great humility doesn't mean great sense of worthlessness. It comes from knowing who God is and who you are to Him. To be humble is to glorify God in everything you do; humility is the attitude you have when you respond to God's love and greatness. Paul knew that God is faithful and that he is a beloved child to Him, so people's criticisms couldn't bring him down. Moreover, when Paul said that he served the Lord with tears, he didn't mean tears of self-pity. Paul didn't cry for the trials and persecutions, he cried for the lost; he knew God's heart's desires. Our tears shouldn't be wasted on people's criticisms, we should lend our tears for God's heart to save the lost.

God is so good! I learned a lot today.

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." (Romans5:5)

Happy Thanks Giving!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Besides from the awesome four-day break, this holiday should also be about blessing others with what we have. Other than studying and having fun, what else can I do? Well, a lot! I will:

1. Grab this chance to share God's love with family members through actions instead of words.
2. Help out preparing dinner.
3. Talk to relatives after dinner instead of just chilling with cousins or watching TV.
4. Help clean up the tables.
5. Hug my relatives.
6. Write to my family at Taiwan.
7. Give a donation to International Christian Concerns to help those persecuted for their faith.
8. Thank my God for who He is and what He has done

Also, since Thanksgiving is also about giving thanks to those around me...

Thank You Annie: For all your prayers and the time you invested in me, for listening to my endless venting, for every single hug, for buying me that gift from VS (I donno if you remember, it was two years ago, you bought it as a reward for me getting into AP English), for dreaming for me, for making me feel like I'm beautiful and valuable, for all your advices and encouragements, and for getting me through depression. Annie your love helped me to accept God's love; you've helped me grow and mature into a woman in God.

Thank You Amy: for all those times you told me that I'm the best sister in the world (next to Sala), for teaching me how to love with patience, for encouraging me with your pure heart of worship, for every letter (folded into airplanes) of apology you gave me after our fight when we were little (even when it was clearly my fault and I should have been the one apologizing), for teaching me humility, for that absolutely delicious cake you baked for my 18 birthday, and for being the cutest little sister in the world.

Thank You Eric: for making me feel welcomed when I first went to Impact, for your friendship, for your commitment to God, and for the genuine way you treat friends.

Thank You George: for your awesome sense of humor, for loving everyone around you, for being a faithful brother in Christ, and for encouraging others with your testimonies.

Thank You Jack: for loving me even when I'm being difficult, for your patient guidance, for giving me a father figure to follow, for hugging me that Christmas party, for bandaging my deepest wounds, for replying all of my crazy long emails with such caring detail, for helping me build a healthy self-image, for leading me to Christ, for interceding for me, for challenging me to grow, for equipping me to overcome strongholds...man, I can't type anymore, I'm crying too much, thank you for being my shepherd and guiding me on my walk with Jesus!

Thank You Jennifer: for enduring three whole weeks of living with me at Kansas (haha), for encouraging me that time at the hotel when I was feeling like a loser, for being so real and genuine in loving, for praying for me at church the other day (I was crying and you prayed for God's protection over me, a lady prayed for my protection again at GodChick), for strengthening my faith with yours, for giving me the honor of being your comrade and sister in Christ.

Thank You Jasmine: for hugging me almost every time we meet, for being so open, for letting me take part in turning one of your beautiful poems into a song, for lending me those DVDs, for practicing the drama with me in the parking lot (haha, remember? it was just us), for inviting me to sleep over (even though we didn't get to do it), and for being a true, good friend. I love you!

Thank You J: for teaching me the chicken dance (haha, thanks to you, our skit had a great ending), for encouraging me with your diligent lifestyle, and for your wholehearted worship to God.

Thank You Joshuah: for saying "good job Alice" so many times I've lost count, for being a loving and supportive brother in Christ, for the way you humbly serve those around you, and for setting an example for all of us by sharing the gospel with your co-workers.

Thank You MQ: for lighting that spark in me with your passion for God, for giving me my first professional haircut (if it weren't for you, my hair would still have the same style I was born with), for giving me my second professional haircut (I guess bangs don't work for me), and for your kindness and encouragement.

Thank You Monay: for showing me what being genuine to others mean, for bringing joy and laughter wherever you go, for encouraging me with how patiently you answered the girl's tough and endless questions at Supernatural on Campus, for blessing me with your love for Jesus.

Thank You May: for being my spiritual partner, for keeping me accountable all those times, for memorizing Bible verses with me, for letting me go to your house that time I didn't feel like going home, for praying with me at AHS all those lunch times, for saving me from the afternoon heat by giving me rides home, for taking me to church countless sundays, for always being so honest with me, for staying by my side during my depression, and for keeping me going hard after Jesus.

Thank You Priscilla: for being such a fun friend to be with, for sharing what you experienced at STI in detail to me, for trusting in God no matter what, and for your heart of serving others.

Thank You Sarah: for praying for me when I was still a Jehovah's Witness, for bringing me to Impact, for leading me to Jesus, for being such a loving and caring sister, for buying that ipod for me, for arranging that surprise party for my sweet 16, for cheering me up countless times when I'm angry, for giving me so many chances to shape my talents (letting me help preparing summer camp..etc.), for believing in me, for treating me to meals, for taking me to so many places with you, for sharing your life with me, and for setting an example for me. I seriously don't know what kind of person I would be if it weren't for you, always, always being there for me, guiding me along the way. Thank you sarah...

Thank You Stephanie: for your warm friendship, for giving me a ride so many times during our summer camp preparation, for being so caring when I was feeling down because of my roommate, for giving me words of encouragement, and for calling me "girlie" :)

Thank You Stacey: for forgiving my attitude, for being an awesome sister in Christ, for always coming before God with such a pure heart, and for caring for the people around you.

Thank You Tiffany: for being my fantastically wonderfully crazy good partner! for being one of the few people I can pour my heart out to, for your love and support, for all those laughters, for encouraging me to never ever give up on God, for being such a prayer warrior, for that beautiful card and gift you gave me for my birthday, for sharing what's on your mind with me, for helping me translate that long letter to my dad, for encouraging me with all those great testimonies, for chatting on the phone with me, and for this great friendship we have with each other. You are so awesome!!

I Need Discipline!

YAY! Today I'm a good girl! Thank You Lord, for helping me discipline myself, God You've brought hope into my life and helped me to get organized.

So I got up early and didn't miss Psychology lecture, then I ate breakfast, and did devotion. Today I read Psalms 63 and boy, I think I just found my favorite chapter of Psalms:

"O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld You power and Your glory.
Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.
I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.
On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night.
Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings.
My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me."
(Psalms63:1~8)

God helped me to lift my head up, abandon all my worries, trust in Him, and run with Him. In my weakness I enjoyed His presence and hungered after knowing Him even more.

Afterwards I took a shower, went to math discussion class, ate lunch, and did devotion. Man, this time God impacted me so strongly during worship that my heart just seemed to explode with joy and desire for my Savior! I felt all the pressure, stress, and burden leave me as I sang "You're always good, You're always good". The Lord strengthened me through worship.

Then I called Cindy, and together we went to study. I've finally found a study buddy, now I have someone to keep me accountable so I won't procrastinate. Cindy taught me alot of interesting study strategies, and I was actually able to get biology now. Praise God!

At 4:30pm I left for my health leaders class. Today we talked about the use of tobacco on campus. There's this thing called hooka, it's like a big pot with a long tube to smoke from; people would gather around the hooka and pass the tube around. It's very addicting and worse than smoking cigarettes. Many people are using the hooka with friends on a regular basis, even the people in my health class. Yet at the end, what was the speaker's suggestion? "Well, I'm not telling you not to smoke hooka, but here's a way to prevent disease transmission when you are smoking hooka: bring your own mouthpiece, I think they are selling them at the hooka bars as well." I just gaped at her. Unbelievable! That's how you do health education? Teaching them the "safe" way to smoke? When I got back to my dorm I started praying for my school.

Dear God, let Your power shake this campus, wash it clean of sexual immoralities and drug addictions! God I repent for the sins of my fellow students, have mercy and come down in Your power! Remind me daily to cry out for this campus, God save Your children from the enemy's traps! It is absolutely heartbreaking how people are trashing their bodies and being chained to addictions. Lord let Your light shine in this place.

Now it's time for more studying! No more procrastinating!

A New Week

Oh Jesus I feel so depressed...I think I'm failing both math and biology. I don't want to fail any class! It would mean that I've wasted a whole quarter's time away plus lots of money.

Lord I feel so bad; I've been ditching classes (I can't count how many times I've overslept and missed my morning classes) and procrastinating. What am I doing? You've given me such grace to go to college and this is how I show my gratitude? I'm scared, finals are less than a month away...God I don't want to waste anymore precious time away, help me to live a focused and purpose-driven life! Help me to live with wisdom and obedience to Your commandments.

God change my attitude, fill me with Your Spirit, and guide me to follow You. Help me to spend more time with people in school; how can I share the gospel and love people (the second greatest commandment) if I refuse to get out of my shell and comfort zone? Jesus You are good, forgive my sins, open my eyes to see Your glory, open my ears to hear Your voice. God I need You. Wake me up from my slumber and remind me that I am a soldier in war. God please be my strength and help me to fight!

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians10:12)

Sunday Service

I actually updated Saturday and Sunday's entries on Monday. I never get anytime to blog during the weekends, so I always do it when I get back to school.

Today I was supposed to give a teaching on ch.3 of "Passion for Jesus" by Mike Bickle. I was so nervous and really wanted someone to pray for me. I didn't say anything to Sarah, but when we prayed for today's worship, she prayed for me. Then she led everyone to pray for me again after worship. Then Jennifer prayed for me when she prayed for today's offering. All those prayers reminded me that I wasn't supposed to rely on my "eloquence" or human wisdom; I was merely a vessel for the magnificent Jesus!

During worship, I looked at the people around me and felt God's intense love for them; oh how beautiful they are, how lovely their voices are! The Lord is completely rejoiced over them; He is so pleased by His beloved children! God's passionate love overwhelmed me and I started to cry; His love is so gentle, so good. We are all so blessed!

After the teaching, Jack talked about Acts 19. The disciples, led by Paul, was causing a riot in that city. People were burning their idols and the businessmen were running out of business. Furious, they went to the court. Jack reminded us that, as Christians, we should cause chaos wherever we go! Paul brought many to Christ in that city, and people turned away from sorcery. Sorcery doesn't just mean witchcraft, it also means addiction. So if we are addicted to something then we are practicing sorcery and idolatry! Wow, I've never thought of it in that sense. Our idols could be anything: shopping, watching TV, playing video games, even writing blogs! If we are spending more time in a day blogging than spending time with God. We have a problem. We need to turn away from whatever idols we may be worshiping now and back to the One who created us. Isaiah 64 said that we are the clay, what God made. He wants to shape us into beautiful vessels.

Here's Jack's challenge of the week: pray this prayer "God You're my Potter, mold me and shape me" everyday, God loves that! When we ask Him that, He'll most certainly answer, and "interesting" things will start happening in our lives. As God shapes us, we'll come to realize many of our faults.

That night after Mom drove me back to Irvine (I missed the Hillsong concert, again!!), I began my night devotion. During prayer the Lord taught me to humble before Him and allow Him to shape me. Oh Jesus You are good! All I am is a weak soul completely blessed by You and dependent on Your grace! I will thrive in my weakness, for in my weaknesses Your power is shown. Lord let me decrease while You increase; let me go lower while You continue being lifted higher. Shine in my life Lord! Shape me and mold me, for You are my Potter.

"Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies." (Psalms60:11~12)

7-11 Update!

It was such a fun night! In the afternoon (I really like the new time for our cell group) I drove Amy, Jasmine, Monay, and myself to Jack&Annie's place. I was a terrible driver and made all of us late (sorry guys!) thank You Lord for protecting us on our way there!

Anyways, during 7-11 we talked about Jennifer's awesome dream, Stephanie's new friends at Long Beach, and Jasmine&Monay's song. That song was so moving, and it was amazing how God led Jasmine to introduce that song at exactly the time Wave decided to have a candle-lighting opening at the party! The song was about lighting the darkness with candles, a perfect match for the opening; coincidence? I think NOT!

Then Annie had us discuss what we should do when an "oddball" (for example, a girl who dresses a little too revealing) joins Impact. Annie taught us that we shouldn't treat such a person with a criticizing heart; we should be sensitive, caring, and tending to the person's needs. Sometimes, we don't necessarily have to "preach" to the person; all we need to do is to be her friend and continue to intercede for her. That discussion made me realize how quick I had always been to judge the people around me; Lord please give me a humble and loving heart.

After 7-11, Sarah took Monay, Jasmine, Amy and I to Shakey's for dinner. We had a great time. Sarah encouraged all of us to pray for a certain family or someone in the restaurant. So we all did. Amy was nervous at first and asked us what exactly should she say when she approaches the person. But then she just stood up and walked up to that person all by herself and asked him (an employee eating by himself) if she could pray for him! We were all so surprised by her courage! Even though he turned down her offer, Amy's action encouraged all of us.

Jesus, You are so good, please continue to shape us and mold us to become more like You. Help us to be the light of the world!

A Lesson On Humility

This morning I did devotion as usual, worshiping Him with songs and prayers. Yet today my heart was hard and my spirit was battling within me.

God I'm scared, I feel lost, I'm strangled by my sins. Jesus I just want to escape from reality and all those problems from dealing with people.

God, I have a horrible attitude with my Mom. Whenever she's trying to give me some suggestions, I'd feel like she's looking down at me. "See, your God can't do anything," her disapproving stare seems to say, "If He's so powerful and you worship Him, why are you still the same, prideful, and selfish brat that you've always been?" Oh God, whenever I face my Mom, she would start picking on me, making me feel so weak and imperfect. Lord, I guess that's how You make me humble and help me realize that I have been prideful; I've been thinking that I'm better than my Mom and everyone else because I'm so "holy", that's why I get so angry whenever she gives me the tiniest advice. "Who are you to criticize me?" That had always been my attitude.

My pride is corrupting my worship; Lord, how can I worship You with such an arrogant heart? Oh Jesus I want to be real now, I want to live with honesty. I'll admit my flaws and accept correction from people, I'll humbly love and serve them. I want to be authentic! I don't want to live with a prideful heart, an angrily condemning spirit, and a haughty mask saying "I'm holy and perfect in loving God and people and you are not." Jesus forgive me! Have mercy on me! I surrender to You. Please help me, today, to love and serve those around me with a genuine and humble heart.

God, I've been so ridiculous, thinking that I gotta be perfect for people to believe in You. Who am I? Who am I to think that I can convince them with my "fake perfection" better than You can? God doesn't need me perfect to save souls; Jesus is good no matter what I do. God is good enough and I don't need to do do anything to "make Him look better". God Himself is good enough to make people fall head over heels for Him.

Lord I thank You for this lesson, please keep it in my heart...Lord I'll show people for who I really am: weak and sinful. Yet Your love is so great that You would patiently shape and mold me to be more and more like Christ. That's what good witnesses are: they show people how weak they really are to demonstrate just how graceful and good God really is. Lord I want to be a true witness instead of an arrogant, self-righteous one. Jesus I love You! Thank You for Your love, grace, patience, and mercy!

"Take my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart..." (Matthew11:29)

A Taste Of Heaven

DUDE! I JUST HAD THE MOST AWESOME EXPERIENCE EVER!!! I spent two hours worshiping, praying, reading the word, and just soaking in God's love. It was so good.

Have you ever felt that you need to pray but didn't really want to? That's what I felt, but then I realized that my spirit was crying out for Him, and I decided to give myself two hours to do devotion. That was probably the best two hours I've ever spent in my entire eighteen years of life. It was the end of the day, my roommate already went back to SD so I was all alone in the room; I simply turned on some music and began praising Him.

During worship, I started dancing like crazy. I mean crazy! My arms were flopping around and my legs were kicking everywhere. "Man, this is one ugly dance," I thought to myself, so I began to follow the rhythm, and then it was like the Holy Spirit was guiding my clumsy movements and turning them into a graceful dance. Oh His joy filled and overflowed in me! I was going absolutely hysterical with joy! I'm so blessed! So blessed to be loved by God! So blessed to be saved by Jesus! So blessed to be able to spend eternity with my Creator! Jesus You are so GOOD! I was so hungry after Him! Such yearning! Worship can really reignite a hunger in our spirits for God!

It's really great to allow myself a long time to encounter God; I had always stuck devotion in the morning and in between classes, which made me hurry and unable to enjoy fellowship with God. Short devotions are good, but long ones are important too. It is during those times that I could really go deeper and have the patience to wait upon Him.

That was totally the highlight of my day, whatever else I did wasn't important. If I finished all my studying and homework but didn't spend time with Jesus, I would count today as wasted.

God I love You! Please continue to shape me into the person You want me to be! I want to know You more!

"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn." (Psalms57:7~8)

Nightmare

Last night was so scary.

I went to bed at 12, happy to finally get to bed early, and drifted off to sleep. At 3:30am I woke up, went to the restroom, and tried to get back to sleep. Strangely, I became really paranoid and kept thinking that ghost heads will appear at my bedside. I was so scared, my roommate wasn't home, so I turned on the lights. The fear didn't go away. After nearly two horrible hours of tossing and turning, I fell asleep, only to experience one of the worst nightmares I've ever had. I can't recall most of the dream, only that I was being tortured by this girl and being completely terrified. At the end, I found myself struggling to get out of a lake, there was something evil in the lake. I had to get out! At the same time I was trying to wake up, but I couldn't! I could physically feel my limbs going numb as I struggled in the dream. I was so scared! So horrified! So helpless! The girl was laughing at me and saying, "Alice, don't you just hate spiritual warfare?" I was screaming in my head. Finally I woke up, feeling nauseated and dizzy. Oh Lord, why didn't I ask for Your help?

That morning after class, I immediately came back to do devotion. Jesus removed my fear and filled me with peace. "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning. My God turns my darkness into light" (Psalms 18:28) I just memorized that verse the day before, why couldn't I remember it last night? Every time I face fear, I would panic and all my faith, trust, and strength would dissolve, leaving me lost. Jesus please help me, train me to run to You whenever I'm in trouble! Something really cool happened during devotion. The portion I was going to read today was Psalms 56, and it talked about trusting God when confronted by fear!

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid..." (v.3~4)

Amen! God You are so good! Once again I'll surrender every part of my life to You. Jesus reign in me, guide me, and teach me the way that I should go.