• Visualizing the Bible – interesting visualizations concerning the Bible, like a cross-reference rainbow.
• After Deadline – a blog on the grammar mistakes found in the New York Times from one of their editors.

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• I hosted two fellowships this weekend; one for our J2 class, and one for our youth fellowship. My parents are at NATS, so I had to manage solo. But I busied around joyfully, and I find Jesus’ words that it is better to give than to receive so true. The more you give the more you receive. I have gainfully acquired a week of food in my fridge now.
• That reminds me of an evangelical point mentioned during NCC last week. In much of the TJCs around the globe, there is always a shortage of full-time ministers. Though we have “resident ministers” assigned to various churches, often that feels like more of a misnomer. But one poignant item that was brought to my attention was the growth of the churches in the US from 1979-1998. African missions began in 1979 to Nigeria, initially all by US workers. It wasn’t until 1998 that African ministry was entrusted by the IA to the UKGA. Of course that these ministers were at their home church even less. In any other denomination perhaps you would see the church flailing or collapsing. But miraculously, the churches in the US slowly grew. From 4 locales in 1979 to 8 to 15 as of 1998. That is the work of God. Truly it is better to give than to receive. God blesses and loves churches who also are able to sacrifice for the sake of other churches. We must take that with faith. Yes, it is hard to believe, but God has already shown it to be true.
• I helped out with our Dallas church A/V room renovation project. Of course it was hard work, and there is more hard work to come, but when everyone works together for the same goal, it’s really beautiful.
• Joyce and I have been reading through the Psalms together. Psalm 112 is a wonderful encouragement and inspiration. Of the many things my parents instilled in me, I’m most thankful for the fear of God. They taught me that when I stole or lied, it wasn’t just hurting other people, but that I was more importantly offending God. Not only did I have to stand in the corner, but I was told to repent. Of course, that reality wore off when I reached adolescence, but the seeds were planted, and thankfully God taught me that lesson Himself when I was a teenager through various experiences with evil spirits. Sam, I AM, be holy, fear Me. I think the best thing a parent can impart to a child is to fear God and keep His commandments. When they leave home and go to college, they know their limits when no one is watching them. When they start to prepare for marriage and date, they know their God-given limits. When they start to serve God, they realize that they aren’t laboring just to fulfill the schedule or please man, but to please God and be His good steward (cf. 1 Cor 4:2). In that way, no longer are you forcing/nagging your child to do this or that. Rather, his reverence toward God forces him to do this and that. Just one lesson pays huge dividends; parents can feel at ease in their older years. Now so many youth members lack the fear of God and find themselves in a host of sin and circumstances that could have otherwise been prevented. And then parents doubly worry. There is no greater joy than to hear that our children walk in truth (3 Jn 4), and that joy starts with imparting a healthy fear of God.

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• Manna 55 is out. Yay, the article I started in EWR 2006 is finally published!
• Last month, a sister asked for some of my photographs to make the TJC 2009 pocket calendars. I didn’t think much of it, sending her my best scenic and floral shots. I thought perhaps other photographers were solicited too. This weekend I was floored to see that all four of the 2009 pocket calendars are my photographs. If you hear any comments, good or bad, feel free to pass them to back to me. More importantly, don’t forget to use them as evangelical tools. Great conversation starters.
• Just returned from my first NCC. During the conference, there was a symposium on evangelism. So many good sermons, but I’d like to point your attention to this one: Send the Light to All Nations. What does True Jesus Church, multi-culturalism, and toilets have to do with each other? Pr. Vuthy addresses that in this sermon. If I have more time this week, I’ll jot down some thoughts from NCC.

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When Ruth was here two weekends ago, I was reminded of this funny memory:

So I lived in the same apartment for the last three years of college. Good ol’ Nichols 4. For at least four of those six semesters, I stayed in one particular bedroom, the one closer to the bathroom.

Now I’m highly myopic, requiring at least 9 diopters of correction for both eyes. Whenever I slept I would pray, turn off the lights, and snuggle into bed. My glasses would already be sitting on my desk since I take off my glasses to pray. When I laid down I would close my eyes and drift off to sleep. I followed this pattern regularly.

One day, while in bed, I couldn’t really sleep and when I looked at the ceiling I observed some strange glowing blurs in my vision. I admit I was a bit frightened since I was wondering what were those objects. What was this strange scene appearing before my eyes? A vision? My heart started to pound. I squinted. My vision sucked. I reached for my glasses, and lo and behold…

Glow-in-the-dark stars :).

They were standing over me all this time! But I did not know it. It must have been previous tenants. For at least two years, I never knew. My roommates never mentioned it. I never knew. I laughed at myself because all this time,  I never knew. I think I ran next door and exclaimed to Andy my ignorance.

Sometimes we can be so obtuse and so myopic to God’s blessings.

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On a lighter note…

Albury-Wodonga is in Australia.

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