Tim and Olive's Blog

i was reading Genesis 3:1-9 the other day, looking at the fall of man and God’s initiative love in seeking Adam and Eve even when He knew they had sinned. i thought about how gracious God is and how selfless He is to give us another chance. then, i saw how God allowed Adam and Eve to come clean on their own accord by simply asking a question (“Where are you?”). and as i thought about God’s approach toward reaching people, i saw how i could learn from Him in my own outreach endeavours. so many times, i’m so concerned about the message i want to tell that i don’t even think to hear about the other person’s story. i realized that i need to learn how to ask more questions ‘cuz questions signify interest in the other person. but going deeper than that, i first need to love, ‘cuz i can’t ask good questions unless i truly care.

SILVER LINING

so my computer in res is not working and i don’t have the time to get someone to fix it… and while i lament not having the convenience of information at my fingertips, i’m learning that it can really be a blessing. for one thing, it forces me to sleep earlier ‘cuz i’m not up staring at the screen chatting to people. another thing is that not having it allows me to be more productive with my time. i guess you don’t realize how much time gets sucked into this square contraption until you can’t use it. i think i’ll be glad when i get my computer up and running again ‘cuz life will seem more normal. but i think for now, i need the forced discipline so i can actually get all my work done. ;p

oh dear.

WHAT’S YOUR MUSIC?

first entry of 2004! let me just say that i am so excited about this year. it’s going to be a year of crazy hard work, but oh, it’s such a satisfying thing. :)

anyway, this past week, i was hanging with friends from C² at their EWC down at the Sheraton Centre. i couldn’t have asked God for a better end to the year or start to the new year. :D

in the final evening session before the new year’s party started, the speaker, Dr. Crawford Loritts explained Joshua 1:8. the verse talks about meditating on God’s word night and day and the illustration he used really got to me. he said that the word for “meditate” actually means something more like let it be background music to your day. running with that analogy, i think my background “music” is mostly static these days. so my prayer for this year especially is this: that i would immerse myself in God’s word so that it can become background music for all my thoughts – because knowing God’s word is the foundation to knowing Him.

amen!

PERSPECTIVE

being the single women we are and at the stage of life we’re at, my best friend and i frequently discuss the topic of singlehood and marriage. and while we have our hopes, we know that ultimately, we are called to be content wherever we are and we can trust that God will give us the best for us. this morning, however, i gained a new perspective that i’d never really noticed before…

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead–have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
~Matthew 22:23-32~

wait. what did Jesus say?

At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

hm. so if this is the eternal perspective, why is it that we fret so much about finding that “special someone” again? i’m not saying marriage isn’t important. just maybe that we place too much emphasis on seeing it happen in our own lives, especially in light of all the people who are passing into eternity Christless. definitely something to think about.

ZZYZX

yes, folks, there is actually a street named Zzyzx in California. how it’s pronounced is a very good question. :)

i’m back in town and yes, i had a wonderful time-off with my parents. seeing as Christmas is approaching, i thought i’d dedicate this entry to my thoughts on Mary, the mother of Jesus.

ever since a very long time ago, i’ve always felt attracted to the character of Mary. there was something about the way she was described in the gospels as treasuring up memories of Christ in her heart – the way she appreciated every moment of the situation she was in. it wasn’t until last week that i could pinpoint why i liked her so much.

the first reason why i admire Mary is that young as she was, she allowed God to interrupt her plans for her life – she was wholly surrendered to God for His purposes. she walked with courage and she didn’t worry about her reputation. i’m somewhat at a point in my life right now where God’s “interrupting my plans” so to speak. i have much to learn from her. :>

secondly, arguably, Mary’s was made to be a mother. that was her purpose. from my childhood days, i’ve always wanted to be a mother and i’ve felt that that was what i was made for. so knowing that God made Mary to be a mother encourages me when most of society today doesn’t think too much of motherhood.

anyway, there’s a rather personal entry for ya. ;> *sigh* back to the Christmas cards i go… :>

QUICKIE

praise God for getting me through this semester!!!! wow. it was intense. and i’m still not used to being on break. :D anywho, i’m going down to the land of casinos and flashy lights for a week. i’ll be back dec 14th. in the meantime, for anyone who cares to remember, please pray for me as i search God’s heart for my future. i’m taking some time during my vacation in Las Vegas to hopefully make some decisions about my school/post-school career (ironic location, i know). thanks to all of you who sustained me through prayer and encouragement this year. what an adventure it has been! (and i know there’ll be much more coming!)

k, gonna leave you with these words to ponder:
There is a need for leaders who will “mobilize the people of God for adventurous and imaginative mission.”
— Paul Beasley-Murray as quoted in Out of the Comfort Zone by George Verwer

EYE-POO PART II

ok, so i’ve been asked to clarify my Tozer quote from last sunday. so here’s my take on things (and i hope it’s correct!)…

1. Deal thoroughly with sin.
i think this one’s pretty self-explanatory. if we leave any hint of sin lurking around, it’ll get in the way between us and God (and probably affect our relationships with others as well) (Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32).

2. Never own anything – get rid of the sense of possessing.
the idea here, i think, is not about not buying anything or having nothing to your name. i don’t think Tozer is telling us to live our lives renting and borrowing from people. the point is more about seeing everything we have as belonging to God. it’s about living life with an open hand – His to give, His to take away (Job 1:21).

3. Never defend yourself.
again, this one isn’t about literally letting someone hurt you. the motivation here is to allow God to bring about justice rather than take it into our own hands. Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[12:19 Deut. 32:35] says the Lord.'” so it’s not so much about physical defense as defending our reputation or pride.

4. Never pass anything on about anybody else that will hurt them.
‘cuz that would be gossip. and “gossip separates close friends” (Proverbs 16:28)

5.Never accept any glory.
glory belongs to God alone because without Him we wouldn’t be where we are. Revelations 4:11, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

i hope that’s helpful. there are probably other explanations, but that’s how i see it.

HE’S REAL

here’s a handy tip for all of yas: don’t donate blood if you feel even slightly unwell. guess who had to learn the hard way? [grin]

anyway, if anything good could come out of extreme tummy discomfort, loss of fluids, fitful sleep, lack of sugar and low blood pressure, it’s this… i felt the hand of Jesus keep me from bashing my head against the toilet as i was on the verge of fainting and again lifting me up off the bathroom floor and guiding me to my room even though i could hardly see. it’s odd but i distinctly remember calling on the name of Jesus to help me get up even though my body was slumped on the ground this morning. and i think it was knowing that He was with me that kept me from freaking out since none of my suitemates knew (or cared) that i was sick. wow. it’s really so reassuring knowing that God watches over me. it’s also good to have friends who live downstairs who are just a phonecall away. :>

ON HUMILITY

just my thoughts from this morning…

humility comes to those who put their trust in God. when we are confident in our identity as God’s children, we don’t have to strive to prove ourselves or try to protect our pride. when we feel secure in God, we can obey Him freely. Richard Foster says that obedience is the key to humility, but i think it goes beyond that. faith is the key to humility. most interpretations of Philippians 2 (see below) are that Jesus came to earth as a human and was obedient to death on a cross despite being God. but i tend to agree with John Ortberg who said that Jesus came down and was obedient not despite being God, but because He is God. the nature of God is humility. it was because Jesus knew God’s nature, His faithfulness, His sovereignty, His love… that He had the freedom to obey the Father and live a selfless life. looking at it this way, Philippians 2 becomes a passage that is not about the heroism of Christ – it is a message of hope for us that we too can attain an attitude that is “the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

EYE-POO

talking to my best friend last night, we came upon an analogy that got us both thinking and laughing. we were discussing the things in our lives that are keeping us from seeing God clearly when the idea of “eye poo” (or, “sleep” in english – basically, the crusty stuff that keeps your eyes from opening fully in the morning) came about. and we realized that we need God’s help to rub our eyes clean so we can open them fully and see His face.

we also went on a tangent about the vulgarity of the cantonese language where bodily secretions are all termed “poo” of some sort (snot = nose poo, earwax = ear poo)… hahaha… oh, we’re still such children. anywho, we are mystified as to what the other dialects of chinese call these things – my mom doesn’t even know. maybe cantonese is the only dialect that even refers to such things?…

anyway, i’ve been reading Gems From Tozer and practically every page has something underlined. now i want to read more of his writing! i’ll share one thing today (more to come later?):

Now there are five vows I have in mind which we do well to make and keep.
1. Deal thoroughly with sin.
2. Never own anything – get rid of the sense of possessing.
3. Never defend yourself.
4. Never pass anything on about anybody else that will hurt them.
5.Never accept any glory.