Light in the Darkness

God is faithful.

Even in the midst of our darkest times, He shows up. He calls out. He proclaims salvation to the broken and to the hopeless He makes a way.

God gave me the chance to go to Urbana 2018 last December and if I hadn't gone I don't know where I would be now. But that's a story for another time. ;P One thing though: we were studying the book of Revelation. And one session we were looking at Revelation 18 and focusing on the call in verse 4: "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of [Babylon], my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues."" From the study and context it is not Babylon literally, so much as figuratively. To the churches Revelation was written to, Babylon was the Roman Empire and various aspects of the culture they felt compelled to compromise with in order to prosper or gain some sort of benefit, whether it was trade guild idolatry, or other things which would allow them to fit in rather than face persecution or exclusion. Reflecting on that we were called to think through what ways we compromise with the world and culture around us and how we need to repent and turn back to God and His ways (in light of who Jesus was revealed to be and His worth :P).

Anyways, in light of that thought, my interaction with my coworkers the other day has drawn me to reflect on God's graces and mercies.

We were having a board game potluck night thing at a coworker's condo. Lots of talking. Lots of food. Good times. Our boss was there too. She's the best. :D We played code names and had lots of fun. Later when people were leaving a game that had been on the table all night was brought up to be played. "Cards Against Humanity". :P It's a pretty bad game. Really not appropriate content for younger people. It's essentially an adult version of "Apples to Apples", but like, really bad, mostly sexual content. Reaaaaaaally not life-giving or enriching in any way. I knew it was bad, but I had never played, and thought, well, if no one else was going to play somethign else, I might as well play? 

I think I probably should have said no. :/ Even if it meant being a little weird, it may have been a better idea. We are called out of Babylon. Not to stand at the edges. What happened to Lot? His heart slowly was drawn to the things of Sodom and he lost his wife and everything he thought was worth pursuing. 

The grace though. One of the cards was "what makes life worth living?" and I had "The Holy Bible" in my hand. :] I didn't care that I wouldn't win that round. I had to do it. God is what makes life meaningful. Had I never read of His faithfulness and all He had done through the cross to bring me true life I don't know what I'd be doing. His faithfulness to call me out of the darkness is so much greater than I frequently see and so much more than I can imagine. I pray He uses the time I spent building relationship for His glory and even the testimony the next time when I say I'd rather not play to speak truth and love to them.

May I have eyes to see Him and ears to hear Him everyday. :]

D.Fa

A Week Later

So, I guess I survived a week without a laptop of my own and without constant internet access. I suppose this means that I do have my laptop back. That is correct.

Also, it seems that I have made another decision and my housemates have all been making plans around it and it seems settled. In any case I really shouldn't finalize decisions on my blog.

Also, I am in the process of writing my support letter for East Asia Project. I don't really have anyone to send it to though... The only people I've thought of sending it to my neighbours and coworkers.

Ya. So, while I have been unable to or rather just not willing to spend my very few and far between minutes with internet on blogger I have had to take a couple notes for later blogging.

1. Just because there is no 'porn' doesn't mean there is no sin. Especially when you are trying your hardest to do good works for God, the devil will be trying just as hard to stop you and get you down. In our weakness, God's greatness is made perfect. I mean we try so hard to be better than we are, but we fall flat on our faces over and over again, but God, Jesus, even though He was in our place, He never fell to temptation.

2. I really like it when I'm reading the Old Testament and I read a passage that has been turned into a song I know. xP
Isaiah 35:3-4 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you."
Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I m ay dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

I mean often when reading the OT I just don't relate very well with it. The last like 10 chapters of Exodus were all the exact measurements for how to build the tabernacle and that clothes Aaron would wear.

Anyways, I'm back I guess. Oh. lol. I will post about my reading week tommorow or something.

Ttyl.

D.Fa

PS. What Can I Do by Suengri of Big Bang is just stuck in my head nonstop. So good. lol.

PPS. Georgia!!!

Ok. I've made a decision.

I have made a decision. This decision actually involved three options (not just two!) and I have actually made up my mind. I am going to choose the grass pokemon for once. He's just so much cooler than the other two. You see, I have just spent the last 3 hours choosing and making my decision final.

In math class I did this:



I sketched it from a picture of a plush doll in pencil, then I inked it! Yay!

That was math class. Then I took a picture of it and put it on my computer! And when I started editing it on MS Paint, then KL told me that there should be a program on my computer which there was not so instead he said to use, guess what... MS Word! lol. I edited the picture with MS Word! what the? lol. but it really helped with increasing sharpness and turning things and stuff and getting rid of the paper lines. Then I had this:



Then using MS Paint I coloured it as best I could. It is a very 2D drawing, but too bad. Deal with it:



So, ya. This is Tsutarja! aka Snivy. The grass snake pokemon, grass starter pokemon for the Unova region of the pokemon universe. Satoshi-kun aka Ash catches a female tsutarja who knows the move attract. It's so weird how the useless moves in the games are always the best moves in the show..... >.>

In any case, Tsutarja! I choose you!

D.Fa

PS. Pokemon B/W comes out in March! w00t!!

Dislike.

I really don't like having to choose between two things I want to do....

Should I hang out with RL who made dinner (even if it was a little simpler than normal) and whom I havn't really seen in a while and whom I really should hang out more with...?

Or should I hang out with CW whom I see way more, but still never really hang out too much with..?

.... I really think I should go home and sleep and get better and all that stuff too......

Grrr..... If only I could be in two places at once...

D.Fa