Unending Love, Amazing Grace

Take Me Deeper

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 04:20:00 +0000

Hello! So I've been bad at blogging this year. I can't seem to easily find that joy in blogging that I had last year. I'm trying though! Anyways, what's new with me? Well, I'm really excited about going back to Blacksburg soon! It's difficult to stop counting down the days. I've also received my Driver's License! I guess that completes one of my summer goals right?! I'm also still visiting churches up here in NoVA. Before that though, I needed to ask my parents if I could use the car to go to a different church. Believe me when I say this, it was no easy task to ask them. I grew up in a Catholic churches and they would rather have me go to a Catholic church instead. Today, I went to Portico Arlington and Grace Covenant. Different bodies of Christ, but same heart and I love that. Both services were great but I may still visit more churches next week. I'm sorry this is short, but I pray that I may find joy in this blog and use it to glorify God.

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Here's a couple songs from Hillsong UNITED's new album, Zion, that continue to inspire me. I've been listening to a bunch of Hillsong lately. Glorious Ruins is a great album also by Hillsong Live.

Grace is a unique concept, something that we all continue run into and learn from. It's also a concept where I know, personally, that there's so much more to grasp and receive than from what I currently understand.

Song: Scandal Of Grace
Artist: Hillsong UNITED
Album: Zion

Lyrics:

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me"

What a powerful prayer. Unlimited trust with the Spirit. Where can that take a person?

Song: Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
Artist: Hillsong UNITED
Album: Zion

Lyrics:

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24)

God created us so that we may glorify Him. One way to do that is through worship. God comes to those people who worship in spirit and truth. Location does not matter, whether one is at church or at home, by worship through spirit and truth, God reveals Himself. Clapping shows our affirmation to Him and to what He has done. Lifting arms shows our surrender to God. I'm not saying that clapping and lifting arms must be done in worship, but they are physical ways to show our undivided affection to God. Let's worship God in spirit and truth and capture His attention.

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Break My Heart For What Breaks Yours

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 04:46:00 +0000

Hello! Happy July! I'm still really excited about this month! It feels great to be back and serious about Jesus. I've been active in worship, prayer, and the Word this week during QT's. It just feels refreshing and renewing. Tomorrow is the 4th of July and I'm excited about NOVA Chi Alpha's 4th of July event. I get to see some faces that I haven't seen in a while. Hopefully, some spontaneous activity occurs! One thing that I want to work on is putting up these blog posts weekly. In the past, I'd usually post blogs on Sunday's and Wednesday's. Right now, I realize that Wednesday's are not convenient for me. I'm also trying to figure out what my daily schedule is going to be. I've been inconsistent in getting up in the morning. Due to that, I'm not sure where to plan daily tasks.

Last summer, I started practicing the keyboard/piano. It's amazing to be taught by the Holy Spirit to learn how to play! Right now, I have two folders filled chord sheets. Most of them are easily found on the Internet, but I must still give thanks to the Lord for providing. This summer, my parents bought me a guitar and I've been practicing that for a while. My fingers having been working tough, enduring song after song pressing down the strings. It's cool to have a keyboard and a guitar around and see their differences and similarities in worship. Also, I created a "Song List" today. I plan to use it to remind me of those songs that I know how to play. Often times, I learn a song but then months later, I forget that I actually know how to play that song. Anyways, I'm excited to see where the Lord takes me with these instruments.

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"Hosanna" is one of those songs that I felt was overplayed in the past, whether it was me or a worship team. I wasn't a huge fan of the song until I started playing it and reading and singing the lyrics. After that, the beauty of the song was revealed to me. I love the line, "Break my heart for what breaks Yours". I remember one time when I was walking to class at Virginia Tech. I was thinking about this line and started looking at the people around me as I walked towards them and past them. I thought about the statistic that over 90% of VT undergrad do not know Jesus. It stirred my heart at that moment so I prayed during the rest of the walk to class. Jesus, break my heart for what breaks Yours. Share Your pain with us so that our hearts would cry out for the lost. Let it empower us to love those who reject Jesus, spread the Gospel and pray for those that seek Hope.

Song: Hosanna
Artist: Hillsong Live
Album: All Of The Above

Lyrics:

One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. (Jeremiah 24:2)

Let us be like first-ripe figs. The Lord will plant us and continue to build us up. We will return with a whole heart to fear the Lord. We will be His people and He will be our God.

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

I'm Coming Alive

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 01:58:00 +0000

Finished! I enrolled in a summer class for 6 weeks and today was my last day! Even though it was only one class, it took up a lot of my day because transportation to and from the campus was two hours. Also, it really messed up my morning routines. Last summer, I'd get up early, spend quiet time and my day would basically start at noon. With this class in my schedule, my day would start at around 2PM. Hopefully, my internal clock would synchronize back to summer form soon!

July is almost here! Wow. Last year, July played a key role with my walk with God and who I am today. Last June, I thought I could follow Jesus by myself, without community. By doing that, I neglected some people around me and my faith was getting attacked. At the end of June, I miraculously found a ride to Blacksburg for the goodbye party for Caysie and Jason and that trip reminded me of community and its power. Then, I started going to NOVA Chi Alpha (took small steps though!) and I started seeking God. I wanted to know more about Him and how He works through and with us. Through this, "Quiet Time" was born for me. It was intimate, intentional, and incredible. I entered the school year with this "momentum". Looking back, I just want to thank the Lord for walking with me through that summer. It's been almost one year since that weekend getaway to Blacksburg and I've grown so much in Him.

Comparison is evil. It's so easy to compare this upcoming July to last July. Even if I don't succeed in satisfying my expectations for this July, I cannot view that as a failure. I have victory in Him and because I believe that I am rooted with Christ, I know that the rest of this summer will be filled with His glory. I'll be starting the Live Dead Journal on July 1st. I also plan on finishing The Glorious Pursuit (I've had it since December 2011 from Anthony. Yikes!) and starting The Circle Maker. My soul has been crying out to Jesus recently, longing for intimacy. I hope to finish the summer strong and look forward to the Fall semester.

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This is Kim Walker's second solo album and it came out January 2013. Right now, I feel life. I feel alive, spiritually. Jesus is alive in me. It's my soul's anthem right now.

Song: Alive (Live)
Artist: Kim Walker-Smith
Album: Still Believe (Live)

Lyrics:

We thank Jesus for leaving His glory in Heaven to be with us, sinners. We thank Him for being the ultimate sacrifice, dying for our past, present, and future sins. Something that I sometimes overlook is the Resurrection. It is significant because Jesus defeated death. He is alive! We don't just give thanks, worship, or glorify to any god; We give thanks, worship, and glorify the living and breathing God! He is like no other.

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. (Psalm 84: 1-2)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Come On My Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Hey guys, it's been a while. While in the Fall semester, I had the occasional blog post, I couldn't do the same for the Spring semester. It had to take the backseat on my to-do list and after that I kept on losing interest. That lost interest had been rolling over into parts of the summer break too. When I wanted to create a new one, I'd always make excuses to procrastinate. My inner-perfectionist comes out and makes me want to post a big, action packed blog post which made it hard to start one. Tonight, with this first blog post of my summer break, I decided to keep it short. I'm hoping that this small blog post would spark interest, creativity, and ideas to build momentum towards the next post!

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Here are just a couple of songs that have been on my mind and heart. Early Spring semester, I kept seeing Rend Collective Experiment on Facebook. I went on Spotify to see what was up with this band. In essays and speeches, attention grabbers are so influential. Here, it took one song to get my attention and hook me in and then the second song sealed the deal. I love this worship team and where their heart is! Check out their channel on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/user/RendCollective/videos Come On was that first song that caught my eye.

Song: Come On
Artist: Rend Collective Experiment
Album: Organic Family Hymnal OR Campfire

Lyrics:

I was just exploring different artists on Spotify and I stumbled upon this fantastic cover of the song, "Set a Fire".

Song: Set A Fire (feat. Beth Croft)
Artist: Momentum
Album: Kingdom Come

Lyrics:

This summer is going to be intense! It'll be a time of preparation and prayer as God prepares my heart and mind for the upcoming school year.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Thoughts: The World Missions Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 03:59:00 +0000

First post of 2013! And with that, I decided to change things up. Previously in 2012, most my titles would originate from song lyrics that I had posted. In 2013, I just know that they won't be song lyrics anymore! Classes start in two weeks! I'm officially majoring in Computer Science! The World Missions Summit changed my perspective on my major, but I'll talk about later. The conference started on the 28th and ended on the 30th. My goal is to post at least one more blog post before classes start so hopefully I do not forget about that.

Pre-WMS:
I first heard about the World Missions Summit early in 2012. I went to SALT last year and I loved the idea of Chi Alpha's coming together for a conference. However, SALT only brought together regional Chi Alpha groups. Pure excitement came when I found out that the World Missions Summit gathered all the Chi Alpha organizations across the U.S. and more across the world. When I found out that it would replace SALT in 2013, I decided that I was going to go.

One day, Michael Panton (SICM buddy from UVA) messaged me and said that he was going to the World Missions Summit. I got really excited because I remember repeatedly mentioning the World Missions Summit to everyone in that beach house! Even better, he got to ride along with VT people for at least 41 hours! =)

Heading into the conference, I knew and admitted that I put too much time thinking about the social part of the conference. "How can I efficiently use my free time to be with certain people", "How can I efficiently use the long bus rides to build on friendships?", "I wonder how New Year's is gonna go compared to SALT", and such pretty much were my thought process. (Notice how I think about efficiency: Engineer mindset)

I knew that was the wrong mindset to have and so I prayed and prayed so that Jesus would prepare my heart for such a conference.

Bus Ride
I thought it needed a section. So, we left between 1:30pm - 2:00pm. I didn't think the bus ride was as bad as some thought or described. Every time we went to eat (usually at McDonald's *yuck*), my motivation was to find an outlet to charge my phone. I got very little sleep on the bus because it was uncomfortable but I didn't let that put me in a bad mood. I ended up giving up at around 2am, but with joy. Wonderful! The van was wonderful though, sleep happened.

@Fort Worth! -> "Give a year, pray for a lifetime"
I think we arrived at about.. 10:30am? We ended up staying at the Hilton (wow!). Once all the registration was done (at hotel and convention center), I ended up taking a power nap. I was exhausted. Dick Brogden spoke and he spoke with power. His tone and style of preaching that night changed me from a tourist to a student, or disciple, ready to learn. For 2 days, we had 7 hour periods total to visit exhibits, sessions, or missionaries at the Exhibit Hall. Then we had four provided meals with a missionary, which is basically six people and a missionary at a table.

"Because I Care"
After visiting a few exhibits, I realized that a lot of time and effort was put in for this conference. The World Missions Summit truly has the power to change lives. Many friendships were formed and strengthened during this conference. Thank you Jesus for healing my friendships!! :) I loved seeing a great attendance from my small group! I'm glad Klint and Jordan went because they normally don't hang out with the VTXA community. I could see that they both had a great time! The XAi session (Chi Alpha International) gave me a new perspective on international ministry, mainly by emphasizing its importance on campuses. One of my favorite parts was when VTXA got together and shared their experiences. Hearing my brothers and sisters declare a certain location where they want to serve God just amazes me. Even though it seemed like God moved through others more than me, I'm not jealous. I know that comparison kills. I'm very thankful that I could be a witness to His works and His glory!

Since I at least have at two and half more years at Virginia Tech, I'll be focusing on putting Heaven on VT. Once graduation comes closer, I may consider giving back to the Philippines, my home country! :)

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The Holy Spirit flowed throughout the conference! There were times where I felt spoiled by its presence...you know? Oh and getting baptized in the Holy Spirit was definitely a highlight ;)

Song: Holy Spirit
Artist: Bryan & Katie Torwalt
Album: Here On Earth

Lyrics:

How do we know that we are called? -> It's all over the Bible. Our God allows us to become part of His story by giving us the ministry of reconciliation. How awesome is that?! He doesn't need us, but he invites us as His friends. As we spread the Gospel, we have to be aware that suffering will come. At that point we remember the prize and ultimately, Jesus will lift us up and He will put us back on our feet. As we go and make disciples, He says that He will be with us and God doesn't break promises.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. (Isaiah 61:1)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Jesus, A Hero, The Savior Of The World

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 00:35:00 +0000

Hey guys, here's a status update:

The fall semester has finally ended! Immediately, I think of my grades and specific points in the semester where I could have done better. "I knew I should have studied this part more" or "I should have dropped this class back in October" or "I should have studied this weekend or night instead of hanging out with friends". I wouldn't take back this semester, though, because of the many unique friendships created.

During finals, my average sleep time was about 3AM. It's taking its toll on me right now because I've been feeling tired for the past couple days. My schedule for the break includes Chicago and the World Missions Summit at Fort Worth, Texas. I may or may not get some typing done during Chicago, but I plan on posting Fall Semester 2012 thoughts and World Missions Summit adventures during this break. But for now, I'll leave you all with a couple songs because..I just need rest and Jesus time.

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~ With Love, He gave His life so we could be free ~

Song: Hero
Artist: Abandon
Album: Abandon II - EP (or Searchlights)

Lyrics:

Grace!
"Take my heart and make it clean
I'm overwhelmed as your grace covers me"

Song: Coming Back
Artist: Ben Cantelon
Album: Running After You

Lyrics:

In this version of "It Is Well", Phil includes the bridge from "You're Beautiful" in the end. I'm a fan of Phil Wickham's Singalong albums so I'm sure I'll use more of them in the future. Check them out though =)

Song: It Is Well With My Soul
Artist: Phil Wickham
Album: Singalong

Lyrics:

So much truth comes out of the following Bible verse. When storms and struggles are around, God is with us. We spend so much time focusing on those "storms and struggles" that we don't see HIM around us. Like the verse says, "a very present help in trouble", He is the Ultimate Comforter. If you're seeking help from the world, it may or may not come through. If you seek help from God, He will always come through. When trials arise, rest in HIM, for He is always with us. Remember, the One who conquered the trial of death flows within us.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

I May Be Weak But Your Spirit's Strong In Me

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:17:00 +0000

It's been too long! Earlier in October, I was done with the Fall Retreat post but Google didn't save it properly and it went *poof*! That got me discouraged because I was already late with that post and it's tough to find time and motivation to start over. Now that it's break, I have some time do type up a few posts. So here's the promised Fall Retreat post!

Last Year:
Fall Retreat 2011 blew my mind! I encountered God and I felt HIS love for the first time! It was a weekend full of worship (Worship team = amazing!) and bonding with my small group brothers! I remember the late-night ping pong and talking to Mark about sports, North Carolina, and the future. After this retreat, I asked Stephen for a playlist filled with Christian music played with songs from the retreat and my path towards righteousness started.

Pre-Retreat:
Honestly, I had little faith that this year's retreat could match or exceed 2011's. It's awful to say or think but it was in the back of my mind. I signed up for the retreat on the last Wednesday before the retreat. I wanted to go by faith. I asked and prayed to Jesus, but I didn't feel led to go. People asked why I hadn't signed up yet and I responded with that answer. Right now, I'm not sure why I signed up. Usually, I would always feel ecstatic about all Chi Alpha events and such, but not this semester.

Since I was unsure about going on the retreat, I obviously didn't plan on preparing to go. A lot of work had to be done from Wednesday to Friday, which included a test on Friday morning. I had to start/continue a CS programming project while finding time to study for a multi-var calc test. The project was due by Friday at midnight but rides to the retreat leave at 2:30. There were some rides that were leaving at a later time but I was not able to find a spot in one. It's difficult to balance studying and working on the project because the project could either take, for example, 7 hours or 1 hour and I preferred to finish by 2pm. In the end, I didn't do well on my test and I couldn't get the max credit for my project. If only I had a bit more time, but that's all in the past now.

Fall Retreat 2012: "What The Heav'n Is Going On?"
This year, Fall Retreat was held at Pine Creek Camp instead of..somewhere in North Carolina. The speaker is a missionary from Spain. When the staff announced that the retreat's theme would be focused on Revelation, that immediately interested me. I have a small history with the Book of Revelation. I attempted to start reading it earlier this year, but God told me that it was not the right now. The speaker The speaker talked about the seven churches mentioned in chapter two and three. Each church had its own tribulation and we were asked to determine which one greatly related to us. Afterwards, he went over parts from chapter four to nineteen. On the last day, he tied together the concepts of Revelation that included Missionary Language. (~This was so long ago, oh how I wish I could add more details!~)

Just some notes I wrote:

God gets glory through justice and mercy, but HE prefers glory through mercy
When we enter worship, we join with all people and creation (that worship in heaven)
We live in a passive culture
Our goal is to bring together God + those who don't know Him
Overcome trials and tribulation
Coconut = heaven

Summary:
God worked in a different way this year. It's great to take some time off and rest in His presence. It was the beginning of many new friendships. Another Holy Ghost Party ignited on a Saturday night. I prayed and talked to the Lord like never before. John Rob and I saw the staff praying for one another... I expanded that worship music library that I keep in my head (translation: learned new songs). Worship is always great at these retreats :)

Speaking of Worship...

Here are a couple of the songs that struck me that weekend:

"O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead"

Goosebumps, energy, and leaps of joy appear when that part is sung. There's just so much power in those words!

Song: Jesus Paid It All
Artist: Kristian Stanfill
Album: Passion: Everything Glorious

Lyrics:

This next song basically became the theme of the weekend. I was really lacking faith that weekend. I didn't truly trust God and His power to move. Like it says in the lyrics: My flesh may fail, but my God never will. It's great to be able to lean on one with such a quality. These verses are words that I wanted to pray but couldn't find them in my mind.

Song: Give Me Faith
Artist: Elevation Worship
Album: Kingdom Come

Lyrics:

The following verse provides an outstanding description of Jesus and His relationship with us. HE takes our sins and puts it all on Himself. For us, we are the armies of heaven that are clean and pure. Jesus didn't have to do this. HE could be the one wearing the clean and pure clothing. We could have been the ones wearing stained clothing. Thank you Jesus for being that slain Lamb, taking our sins and providing us with such grace!

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (Revelation 19:13-14)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Light A Flame In My Soul, For Every Eye To See

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Hey guys, I have not been keeping up with this blog. I just couldn't give up time from my schoolwork + Chi Alpha + friends + sleep to type something up. It's been almost a month now! Hopefully, I can provide more posts in October! It probably won't be either a Wednesday or Sunday when I publish new posts also, just whenever I feel led.

Bible!
I recently finished 1 Samuel and now I'm onto 2 Samuel. I'm still on Luke and Acts. Every week I wake up later and later and I just can't get up early enough to read chapters from all 3 books in the morning. However, I still read by faith. Currently, I'm reading the parables in Luke and it brings me joy to apply those parables in real life. For example, Luke 12:2 says,

Nothing is covered up that will not be reavealed, or hidden that will not be known.

Last night, I was in a situation where this verse was the solution, remembered reading it, and shared it.

Classes
There's only one that is keeping me from being worried about my grades and tests and that's Jesus. He's just putting people in my life to help me for projects and giving me wisdom as I continue to see Him. My CS programming class has been do-able so far. Next week, I have two tests and two programming assignments due but after Wednesday, I get physical rest and peace. One of those tests is covered on MATLAB but I've had little experience with it because when we work in groups, there's only one person who types the code for the weekly assignments. I'm not a great fan of that system because the other group members are losing out on experience, as far as error debugging and syntax. I have much studying to do.

Small Group
My small group leaders make up a unique team. I describe them as "The Gamer", "My Old Small Group Leader (or The Smart Dude)" , and "The Newly Wed". I spent a lot of time with Jamar and Luigi last year, but not much with Evan. He didn't even know much about me before we met up. Still, I love talking to Evan. God has put so much power in his mind, to think about HIM, and his mouth, to give HIM glory. Small group in general has also been the highlight of my week, meeting up every Monday night. Though quantity may be small, the quality of the night stands out. With very little awkward silences, our members continue to share their thoughts on the Word of God. I ask and pray for spiritual growth as the year goes by as brothers in Christ, never ceasing to stop gazing at the Lord and his Beauty, continuing to seek his Kingdom and Glory forever and ever.

The Jams of the Recent Present

I played song multiple times in September and I wanted to share it, but I never got to post much in September! The words are full of truth and fill me up. I first listened to this song in early September when Dwelling Place played it. It's a very comforting song that speaks about a relationship with God. Ultimately, the more we seek HIM, the more we love HIM! We should give everything to Him and praising Him because He is our worthy LORD!

"I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming"

Song: The More I Seek You

Lyrics:

Bethel's new album came out on Tuesday!!! I'm currently listening to it on Grooveshark and it is amazing! Check it out :)

We give our life to Jesus, surrendering all to Him. Then, we live out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and make disciples of all nations. Jesus died for us, by his blood, for every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). There are times where our hearts are on fire for Jesus and then there are times when we lose run out of fuel for our passion and we end up coasting, keeping Jesus and his Glory to ourselves. That makes us selfish. We must seek for Jesus to "burn like a fire" in us so that people can see our joy in HIM. He died for us, not one person, but for the world so that we can be reconciled with God! Hearing stories of Europe turn away from Christ just makes my heart cry because it's worse than not knowing Him at all (2 Peter 2:21). So, for the sake of the world, we must live out the Great Commission because He didn't die so that just one could be with Him, but for ALL.

"For every knee to bow down
For every heart to believe
For every voice to cry out
Burn like a fire in me
For every tongue to confess
You alone are the king
You are the hope of the earth"

Song: For The Sake Of The World
Artist: Bethel Live
Album: For The Sake Of The World

Lyrics:

Not only did Jesus give us the ability to reconcile with God, but also entrusts us to reconcile others to God.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:18-19)

Stay tuned, Fall Retreat thoughts on next Blog post...

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Still Looking For A Home

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Hello. Not much announcements. Though, I'd like my poll to go back up on the blog but I don't have a great poll question in my mind right now.

Classes
I had a bad week of classes, in terms of homework. I just made too many mistakes and didn't check my homework. For my Software Design & Data Structures class, I could barely answer each question with certainty. Even though it was conceptual homework about Java, I do not have enough experience to complete it by myself. The notes on the website did not help and I did not have a textbook yet. The homework frustrated me and once I turned it in at midnight, I still felt frustrated. So what do I do? I go to the library and start doing math homework. When I'm frustrated, I like to block out stuff. So if I'm frustrated and do homework, I am nearly immune to distractions. I finished that math homework with ease.

Still Looking For A Home+Gobblerfest
Recently, I've been entertaining thoughts of finding a different home. In the summer, I had a desire to transfer to the University of Virginia and join their Chi Alpha. I entertained those thoughts for a while but God told me that I belonged at VT. Also in the summer, I wondered about joining a different campus ministry, such as Intervarsity or maybe even Cru. I entertained those thoughts but I didn't pray about it so I lost track of the thoughts. I came into the semester ready to give glory to God through Chi Alpha only. I planned on devoting a lot of my time to Chi Alpha. But in early August, someone had asked me how could I expand the kingdom of God and learn from Him by just being in one organization. I put that thought in the back of my mind because I felt like Chi Alpha was my home. If you read an earlier blog post, you would know that I spent some time with the Cranwell International Center during "Fall Blitz". So immediately, my time was split up between Cranwell and XA. Fast forward a couple of weeks and I go to my first Gobblerfest. I visited a lot of campus ministries' booths and it was great to talk to other believers. Though, we have not individually met, we both knew that same people. I hope that makes sense. Unity is what i'm talkin' about! I had a good time talking to people from IV, Cru, and RUF. Yes, I do plan on visiting another campus ministry during their "large group" and, perhaps, more.

Gobblerfest
I went to my first GobblerFest last Friday! Last year, I was bumming during that event because I didn't really know what it was all about. I visited a good amount of booths for free items. I described it as "going shopping" and I found a lot of people to talk to. I love walking and seeing a familiar face! I loved seeing all these organizations at one place. I truly hope that people get involved (positively!) in some of these clubs and organizations.

Bible
I'm still in 1 Samuel, Acts, and Luke. Reading has been slow for me. I need to ask for more patience. I have not used my highlighters or underlined much in 1 Samuel recently, but I do love the reading about David and how God works through him.

My Jam of the Week
I'm still on Switchfoot. Tobymac's new album is great though, but I'm not feeling it right now.

Not much back-story to tell. I like the lyrics and some parts associate with me right now.

Song: Where I Belong
Artist: Switchfoot
Album: Vice Verses

Lyrics:

God working in David =]

Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping. (1 Samuel 22:23)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

When All Along, All I Need Is You

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 22:52:00 +0000

What up! Well, I haven't updated in over a week! I’m still trying to find some time to type these things up, but Sundays will most likely be the day for new posts. I’ll update my poll soon. I have Internet in the apartment now, so it's all good! I plan on finding a new name for the music section on this blog.

First Impressions of 2nd year at VT
I’ve been having an optimistic mindset this week. I can feel a lot of growth this year and light to shine around this campus. Good stuff right? Yup

Fall Blitz
Intense, tiring, important! VTXA’s Fall Blitz started last week Wednesday with snow cones. I did not sign up to volunteer but I showed up during certain hours and shifts. The week of the 19th of August felt longggg and fast!!! I know that doesn’t make sense! By the end of the week, it felt like the 19th happened weeks ago. The days itself felt short because I had a lot of fun as time passed. Each night, from Wednesday to Saturday night, the Chi Alpha house was filled up. Not inside, but outside. I never went to Fall Blitz last year because I moved in on Saturday so this was my first. I did not expect that amount of people to come every night. From Wednesday to Saturday, we had Watermelon Night, S’Mores night, Cookout night, and Something-In-A-Mug. After two of those nights, I felt something that I had not felt in a long time: Exhaustion from a long day’s work.

Classes Already?
Classes were fine Monday to Wednesday. It felt secretly good to be back. Walking to class from my apartment energized me. Though, my schedule is not perfect, it’s do-able. There are a few classes where I’d rather have the class earlier or later. Heading into this semester, I felt uneasy and anxious about majoring in Computer Science. It seemed like it would overwhelm me and I knew I would be in a disadvantage compared to other people. When I went to a CS Seminar class, all the uneasiness went away. The CS Ambassadors in that class encouraged my decision to choose Computer Science. Now, I’m just really excited for the growth of knowledge I’ll gain for the major. One thing that caught me off guard though - in Math 2224 (Multivariable Calculus) I have to draw 3D graphs? X-Y-Z axes? That's just not my thing yet.

IGNITE!
Powerful! Spirit-filled! Energetic! Free!! Those words described that night. Wednesday night is when VTXA meets up for “large group”. It was the first one of the year and the atmosphere of the night was indescribable, like our God! It was a night full of tears, joy, Jesus, community, and unity! Anthony starts a series named, “Taking a Stand” and we’re reading in Daniel. "Don’t let the atmosphere of the location influence you, instead, influence the location!" The War Memorial Chapel filled up real fast!! Even though I sat in the front, I could see some people sitting on the sides. I really do sense a great semester for Jesus.

Bible
I'm currently reading 1 Samuel, Acts, and Luke. Recently, it's been dry for me. I just have to be a bit more patient and focus and pray that I may truly hear the Word of God. But after Acts and Luke, I'll be almost done reading the New Testament! Though, I know I have to focus on God, instead of the idea of completing the NT. Once I start reading Revelation, I know I'll be on a journey haha. I just have to put it all into God's hands!

Switchfoot
I remember listening to the instruments' notes and music because I lowered the volume on my speakers while I was on my bed. It caught my attention, especially towards the end of the song. I searched up the lyrics and I guess I related to it. I know that's vague haha. Though Switchfoot isn't new to me, I certainly need to clear up some of the perception and thoughts that I have about them.

Check out this song..I love the bridge..also check out the other tracks in the album, they're good too!

Song: Sing It Out
Artist: Switchfoot
Album: Hello Hurricane

Lyrics:

On another note, I just listened to TobyMac's newest album, "Eye On It", a couple days ago and I like it so far. Chance to be next week's artist? Possibly.

Letting Go
When I was a freshman in high school, I established friendships with a some upperclassmen. When I saw them walk across the stage to receive their diploma, I felt overjoyed. They were probably 1000x more excited than me though! But when school started again in August/September, I started missing them, especially when I started to remember their roles or walked into a room where they would normally hang out. The same process repeated itself next year, for sophomore - junior year. However, I did not feel it from Junior - Senior and Senior - College because it was me who ended up leaving those people behind. I moved to Virginia during the summer between my junior and senior year. Before I went to VT this semester, I mentioned this to Stephen, wondering how I would react. After being absent for two years, emotions rushed back to me yesterday. Saturday was tough because I tried to find tasks, such as homework, to distract my mind from these feelings but it would not work. 1st year to 2nd year college transition was hard because I experienced fellowship with those who left with Jesus in our lives (Note that Jesus always is with us even if we do not believe him! I couldn't allow myself to feel him around my life back then). For dating & marriage, Jesus must be the cornerstone of the relationship. When Jesus is the cornerstone of a friendship, those bonds will never break. That's just one of many things that I love about Jesus! He binds us, maybe not physically, but spiritually! My mind has been having a tough time letting go of friends. I visited Serena & Ashley's apartment yesterday and pictured the old setup that Katie & Elena had in the living room, walls, kitchen, etc. Because Jesus bound these friendships, I had to go back to Him to help me let go. I prayed and though I didn't feel instant peace, I've been receiving it. That's why instead I say, "Goodbye", I say, "cya later". To conclude, I talked/tweeted to Sonia yesterday and this is what she said, "The old people haven't left. We're just a little farther away."

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ (Ephesians 4:15)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

My Heart Aches For You, My God

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 01:08:00 +0000

Hello folks! Well, not much social media has been happening recently because I have moved into my apartment in Blacksburg! But almost a week of no social media? How is that possible? Well, my apartment has no internet yet. I have to walk next door to the Chi Alpha house to send and check emails, visit Facebook or Twitter, and check miscellaneous information sites.

Move-in

Is there such a thing as a stress-free move-in? Not for me. Saturday was stressful, but it ended well.

Cranwell Is Where It’s At

Ramon typed up a facebook post asking if anyone was available to help volunteer for Cranwell. Cranwell is Virginia Tech’s international center. I quickly sent him the text because I could not procrastinate this opportunity. I already planned on sending an email to see if I could volunteer for any event at Cranwell and Ramon’s post was so opportunistic. I did not know what I would be volunteering for, but I just wanted to be involved with them as soon as possible. Ramon informed me the next morning that I would be helping out for the orientation day for international students. I met many friendly Global Ambassadors and helped them set up the some of the designs in the Squires ballroom. Their staff seemed strict and tough at first, but I later concluded that they were just working really hard for the day. After the introduction at Squires, the students followed their assigned Global Ambassador for some small group introductions and played some ice breakers. I helped out Olivia’s group that day. She had one of the biggest groups with about 26 or 27 exchange students. Their accents and voices really intrigued me since I heard many different accents in a short amount of time. After small group introductions, we went to D2 for lunch. It was my first time there in a long time! I ended up late there so I had only one plate, but I was not very hungry at that time. During our breaks, Olivia and I would give out some Virginia Tech traditional knowledge, such as VT sports information and facts about the campus. After lunch, we went to Randolph for some “advising” but apparently there really was no advising, just old information. Then, we walked to Torg Bridge for software, but we found out that exchange students did not need any of the software due to their short period of time at VT. Software pick-up was the last thing for the afternoon so Olivia released her group and we went to Squires Breakzone. We found Rayan (aka Mr. Strong British accent) and another Global Ambassador there with some students from Turkey. I watched them play bowling then I tried one game of table tennis. I need practice on that. After Breakzone was an optional library tour. I skipped out on that to rest. It was about 5pm at that time. I only planned on volunteering from 8am to 5pm but I had a lot of fun and decided to go to Cranwell’s free dinner at 7pm. Thank you God for making that decision so easy. The night concluded the day with relaxation and fun. I had a great time talking, playing, and learning from these international students and Global Ambassadors. I really just let God lead me during the dinner. Usually, I’d follow someone I knew (like Ramon) but that night I looked for conversation and conversation I found. I didn’t talk to many students, but I was very intentional with the conversations I had with the few students. I met a student who was part of NLCF who regularly visited BCM’s Friday night free food event. Matt Husband actually introduced me to this event back in July. He mentioned that international students attended that event. I plan on attending some of those nights this semester. Then Ramon and I talked to a Global Ambassador who followed Jesus. While we walked her back to her home, we conversed about Jesus and missions. Hearing Jesus from other people was a great conclusion to the day. I loved that day because I was not attracted to their offering of free food. Interacting with Cranwell’s staff, Global ambassadors, and international students is worth way more than free food. If I had to pay money to help out, I would have still texted Ramon. Wow, I already have a highlight of the year and the semester did not even start yet! I look forward to being around Cranwell this year. I think I already want to go to MOSAIC during Thanksgiving. I loved the experience. Thank you Ramon and Olivia!

Bible

I’m almost done with John! What will my next Gospel be? God will tell me. I’m in 1 Samuel also. I must be patient in the Old Testament because I take some time to find fruit in the Word. Romans has been wonderful for me. However, I know that I should already re-read the book because of weirdly worded phrases from Paul. I just read chapter 12 and 13 and I really wanted to highlight/mark the whole chapter! I just need to be patient because I’m in a new environment with many distractions. Soon, these distractions will become a regular thing and won’t affect me as much.

Friday

For the last full day in Ashburn, I played basketball with my high school friends. I was actually supposed to come to Blacksburg on Thursday with Jackson but they could only play basketball on Friday. So I canceled my plans with Jackson and stayed. I really didn’t have much contact with them over this summer. I had moved from Illinois to Virginia so I was new to the school, as a senior. These friends are the ones who gave me a chance during my senior year in high school. They have a place in my heart, whether they know it or not. Hanging out with them on Friday was important for me. Though, not a lot of Jesus was talked about that night, I have faith that it will come soon.

Jesus Culture

This song has been stuck in my heart and mind. It starts with, “My heart aches for you, my God.” All week long, I feel like my heart has been aching for Him. However, I have been leaning towards racing to God alone rather than with others. I’ll need some prayers for that. My times with God fill up with intimacy so easily this week.

Song: You Are Faithful
Artist: Jesus Culture
Album: Consumed

Lyrics:

My experience with Cranwell was lively, entertaining, and fun! I know I have few more things to learn but I’m willing. I read Romans 12:9 that morning and I lived it out. I truly believe that I loved genuinely. That’s been something I’ve been thinking about. “What if I am not intentional with these people?” “What if I can’t love them?” It’s a good thing God took care of those questions. Thank you Jesus.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:9-10)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

You Are Worthy Of It All

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 03:22:00 +0000

Hello! What's up? Tons of stuff. On Tuesday, I was typing up this blog post, then I pressed backspace but for some odd reason, instead of erasing a letter, it went back a webpage and my post got erased. I wanted to skip this week, but I knew I couldn't give up.

Sunday
Last week, NoVA XA people asked me if I was excited/ready to go back. I answered, "No, not really. I felt pretty settled in. I was comfortable with my situation and I wished I had more of summer." On Sunday, I visited Blacksburg last Sunday and dropped off some of my stuff. That feeling I got when I got the key: priceless. I saw some people too! Shout out those people: Yi, Jenna, Katie J, Zach, Danielle, Katie N (but I was in a vehicle), LeePin, Pete, Jamar, Xikai, Ryne and that's the order I saw them. I went inside my apartment and it looked smaller than I remembered. I visited the place earlier in February. I also forgot there were stairs on the inside. I realize that I will have to adjust with the space available. Once I left, I felt some excitement of coming back. Just a tad bit. Then I watched the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics. Nothing special though.

Monday
It felt "different" waking up and not watching or hearing anything about the Olympics. One of the highlights of the day was hanging out with Stephen and Jackson up in NoVA. This would also be the final meeting between Stephen and I this summer, or maybe the year. Good times.

Tuesday
This was a rough day. With the conclusion of the Olympics, I found myself with available free time. However, I never thought about that. That afternoon, I felt empty because I had time and I had no idea how to use it. I accidentally took a nap at first (Weird stuff that beds make me sleepy and tired right?), but I'm not a fan of taking naps in the summer. Basically, I felt frustrated that I couldn't find anything to do in my limited amount of time I had up in NoVA.

Summer Olympics Past: Beijing
I think a lot. Four years ago, I watched my first Olympics and I absolutely loved it. I was an upcoming high school sophomore who lived in Wauconda, Illinois. I was thinking, "Maybe Michael Phelps could win his eighth Gold medal on my birthday," and sure enough he did. I don't even remember much of the events I watched. I missed out on Beijing's Opening Ceremonies but I made sure to watch the Closing Ceremonies. I remember watching some events in the basement of my aunt's house. I remember NBC was in charge and their commercial theme sounded awesome to me. I knew I missed out on a lot in the Beijing Olympics and that fueled my excitement for the London Games in 2012.

Summer Olympics Present: London
Now, I'm an upcoming 2nd year at Virginia Tech. All that excitement building was finally released! These Olympics quickly grabbed my attention, from the Opening Ceremonies to the Closing Ceremonies. I enjoyed watching the events, though I was not a fan of NBC's coverage. Mixed reactions, such as disappointments and loud cheers filled these Olympics. Volleyball disappointed me, while swimming, U.S. women's soccer and men's basketball entertained me. I used NBC's online coverage to watch events live but, again, it wasn't perfect. My most viewed sport is probably swimming. I had so much energy and excitement that I wanted to watch EVERYTHING! I watched many of its heats, which still brought thrills to me. Michael Phelps said that these were his last Olympics. I believe he'll participate in the 2016 Olympics.

Summer Olympics Future: Rio de Janeiro
Where I'll be four years from now, I don't even want to think about it. Hopefully, I'll still be a Christ follower.I can't even think about the endless possibilities that God has in store for me. I'm not sure if I'll store up the same amount of excitement compared to London. I'm keeping this short and simple, without much thought.

The Word of God
I'm in 1 Samuel, Romans, and John right now. I've had to re-read some of the Romans chapter due to my inability to understand right away. I am loving John because I can see what Jesus says! I started reading 1 Samuel because I wanted to learn about David and I think his story starts there. If not, I'll still finish 1 Samuel. Good stuff

Back to IHOP!
Prayer, not pancakes. Jesus deserves all of the glory.

Song: Worthy of it All
Artist: IHOPKC Worship, David Brymer
Album: onething LIVE: Magnificent Obsession

In Proverbs 30, Agur asks the Lord for two things. For one of them, he says, "Give me neither poverty or riches." Agur anticipates, "lest I be full and deny you." Basically, he asks that the Lord would make him not too poor, but at the same time, not too rich. If the Lord provides us with riches and wealth, how easy will it be to forget God? When I was young, I would sometimes here prayers for God, asking for wealth and a wealthy life. But here's what Timothy says:

But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people in ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.(1 Tim 6:8-10)

What's going to prevent someone from "loving" money that he or she desires from the Lord? Timothy also provides extra consequences of desiring to be rich. I am thankful that the Lord gives me neither a lifestyle of poverty nor of wealth and riches, but a lifestyle of Jesus. The only wealth I need is of Jesus for there is always more of Jesus to be, learn, find, understand, obtain...gah there's just so much more!

Thank you Grace for reminding me of this verse.

Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the Lord?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

With Wonder and Fear, You Knit Me Together

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:28:00 +0000

Hello! I know I did not post on Sunday/Monday. I've been finding myself with other things to do, such as watching the Olympics and random worship in the night. I usually type these things up during the night hours. I've been sleeping before midnight recently ("Sleep Today, Wake Tomorrow") to wake up at 7-8am so I can use more of the day to my advantage. Hopefully, this can transition into college....right? Also, I finished Isaiah last weekend. It was a remarkable moment, as I think about reading the first chapter back in early July. However, I still do not know what my next OT book will be, so I'll be re-reading Isaiah until I do. Good stuff.

August 2011 vs August 2012
This upcoming Sunday is probably my the last time I go to church in NoVA until a few more months. Last Sunday, I was thinking about my mindset last August. In August 2011, after the last church service before heading into college, I thought to myself, "Wow, it's the last time I go to church for a long time." Even now, it's hard to recall back to that moment. I'm not even sure if I "thought" about it, maybe I even said it out loud. Last August, I was ready to walk away from the Lord. This August, I'm joyous to have a complete opposite mindset, where church is no longer a hassle, but a delight.

Another Memory
Before I went into the first Bible study, under Stephen and Luigi, I requested to Stephen that I would not not read. I had one of those green, mini Bibles which had the New Testament and Psalms and Proverbs. So we started reading, in a circle, a passage somewhere in the New Testament. The passage was mildly lengthy and it was my turn to read. I didn't want to "create a situation" so I read the next part. Still, I was known to be a quiet guy during Bible study in the Fall. I did not realize that until Luigi poured his wonderful words of life over me while at Atlanta (Atlanta Dream Center during Spring Break). Now, during NoVA Bible study, people would be surprised if I did not share my thoughts for every question.

What A Journey!
Even though, it hasn't been a full year yet since my first Bible Study, I've been thinking about the wonderful journey and transformation that God has put me through. Who would have thought up of placing me in Pritchard with a Christ-Following RA (aka Stephen), who ended up living 5 minutes from me in Ashburn, all while I was aiming to walk away from God? Only God would think up of such a plan, and He tells us that in Acts 17:26:

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. (NIV)

This verse actually came to my mind during XA NoVA's weekly Bible study. We were talking about, and I quote, "Where we are and when we're there is determined by God for a purpose." But why would God do such a thing? He tells us why in verse 27:

that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.

God knew what he was doing because that's exactly what happened to me. He placed me at that location, in Pritchard with a Christ-Following RA, to give me the opportunity to receive adoption as His sons (Galatians 4:5). Then, I took that opportunity and grasped it, so that I could seek God and participate in the right race. So, I guess I'm proof of Acts 17:26-27, but who isn't? God has put all of us in certain places at certain times, according to His purpose. The best part about my journey so far? It has just begun.

Enter The Worship Circle (again?!)
Due to the Olympics, I haven't really had time to explore to other artists. It's a good thing their songs appeal to me. This song is from Psalm 103. Love the piano.

Song: No Limit
Artist: Enter The Worship Circle (Karla Adolphe)
Album: Chair and Microphone, Vol. 3

Lyrics:

Matthew Husband is going to Africa tomorrow!?! Man, I just want to thank God for crossing our paths. It's always great to meet one of Stephen's friends. Although, we've only known each other for a such a short amount of time, he is still one of my role-models. I pray that temptation wouldn't interfere with your work down there. I pray that you would lean on God, as you move on to a new chapter. I'm sure God has great things for you down there. I hope this isn't a "goodbye", but a "cya later".

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

In Love With You, My Lord, My God

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:13:00 +0000

Welcome to the month of August! This summer is just running so fast right?! For Campus Ministries out there, I know that August is one of the most significant months of the year, in terms of preparation and prayer for the upcoming year. It's where Freshmen (High school & College) adjust to new environments as they move forward in their journey, usually introduced to more worldly things and actions.

"The Apostle whom Jesus loved"
Right now, I'm reading Isaiah, 1 Timothy, and John. I do wonder how God led me to read at three different places in the Bible, especially during these Olympics. Overwhelming, no. Patience, definitely. So, here's even more patience that I'm happily exercising. If we backtrack all the way to June, I mentioned that I wanted to learn about Love. Here's the link: http://psalm27four.blogspot.com/2012/06/status-update.html Notice the capital "L" in Love. I wanted to learn about God's Love and then through that, I will learn everything else about Love. I was reading through a lot of Paul's letters and I knew I'd have to move on soon, so I started wandering through the New Testament. I thought maybe it was time to read a gospel. I found myself in John and started reading the first few lines of the first chapter, John 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." I got "hooked" on right away and when I thought back to June, I knew John was next, considering he wrote about the Love of Jesus

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
I actually got this from church and it really stood out to me. This passage is located in Matthew 14:13, Mark 6:30, Luke 9:10, and John 6. Basically, Jesus has five barley loaves and two fish to feed this massive crowd. Jesus tells his disciples to get the people to sit down. He blesses the food and gives them to his disciples to distribute among the people. In John, Jesus also asks his disciples to "gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost," knowing there would be extra. Obviously, that is an incredible act of Jesus, but let's look deeper a little. Think of the food as God's Love. So, Jesus has God's Love to spread to five thousand people. So, His disciples distribute the food, aka "God's Love." That outstanding part is that there is EXTRA FOOD! Now, if we connect "substitutions," we find out that God's Love is not just enough, it's more than enough! God loves us with more than enough Love. If you think God loves you by "this much", multiply that by a number and you still won't reach the amount of love that He pours out on us! Just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians, His love never ends.

Enter The Worship Circle
I'm still lovin' them. Spotify supplies me with their wonderful music for now. It's unfortunate that YouTube does not have many songs from these people. Take a look/listen at some of the videos in my previous blog post, especially "Land of the Living".

It just sounds like a fun song. Their website mentions that this song is based on Psalm 139:1-19.

"Change me oh God, with your mercy"

Song: My Eyes Are So Blue I Could Feel Like I Could Look Through
Artist: Enter The Worship Circle
Album: Chair and Microphone, Vol. 2

Lyrics:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

I Cannot Hide My Love

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:20:00 +0000

What a wonderful Monday! Woke up at 7 and got up early today. I usually start typing on Sunday and Wednesday, but these Olympics have been taking up a lot of time. Currently typing and watching the Olympics. I know I'll spend a lot of time watching these Olympic Games but I know that God will always be my #1 in my mind and heart.

Jesus and the Olympics?
Last Friday, I felt really anxious about the London Olympics. I loved watching them in Beijing four years ago, and I have been thinking about these London Olympics more and more ever since. I knew they would take up a lot of my time if I watched, so I wondered if I could still continue an intimate relationship with Jesus. I actually feared that watching the Olympics would take all of my time. I could not watch the Opening Ceremony Friday night because I had some inner-struggles. I kept thinking "Jesus or the Olympics?" I definitely had a hard time going to bed knowing I was missing out on stuff. On Saturday morning, I started watching the Opening Ceremony (it was recorded). I thought the performance was decent. When the Parade of Nations had arrived, I thought about watching the whole thing. When I decided to skip it, something in the back of my mind told me to watch the whole parade. From Greece to Great Britain, 204 nations later, I learned the names of countries new to me, concentrated on the pronunciation of certain countries, and watched the Philippines walk! Then, I realized God just fed my mind with international knowledge, as He has been doing this summer. As I tweeted a couple days ago, "I love how These Olympics can unify nations of the world, even for a short amount of time!" So, I went from "Jesus or the Olympics" to "Jesus and the Olympics." I look forward to these next few weeks and AUGUST....!!!

Enter The Worship Circle
I revisited that special playlist on Friday night, looking for some inspiration. I listened to "I Cannot Hide My Love" by Enter The Worship Circle. Unfortunately, I could not find a recorded version by the band/artist on YouTube. However, Grooveshark and Spotify have it. For months, it somewhat frustrated me that I couldn't find it on YouTube. I'm liking some of their raw style of their music. It's mostly been that theme this July.

Song: Safe Place
Artist: Enter The Worship Circle
Album: Chair and Microphone, Vol. 3

Lyrics: http://www.lyrics.com/safe-place-lyrics-enter-the-worship-circle.html

I'm not sure if it's a tempo change or time signature change, but I like it for the chorus.

Song: You Are Mine
Artist: Enter The Worship Circle
Album: Chair and Microphone, Vol. 3

Lyrics: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/e/enter_the_worship_circle/you_are_mine_crd.htm (Chords)

I think I found a theme song to this blog...maybe. Psalm 27:4

Song: Land of the Living
Artist: Enter The Worship Circle
Album: First Circle

Lyrics: http://lyrics.wikia.com/Enter_The_Worship_Circle:Land_Of_The_Living

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

How Can I Comprehend The Beauty That Has No End

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 05:55:00 +0000

Last Sunday was the debut of this blog to VT Chi Alpha! I hope you all liked it! Please notify me of comments, concerns, and/or suggestions if you have any. August is also right around the corner! I've kinda been counting down the days so they would go by slower. Funny how in June, I desperately wanted to go back and now, and now I wish I could stay away for just a bit longer.

I kept myself busy pretty much all of July with random activities, until yesterday. Tuesday was an odd day. Afternoon had arrived and the flow in my everyday life suddenly stopped. I found myself with extra time that I did not know how to use. Part of it is a result of spiritual growth in Christ. As I grow towards Christ, I begin to develop new habits and lose some old ones. A TV show that I would watch everyday for 2 hours turned into a TV show that I would watch only if I was eating food (since I'll be near the TV). Unfortunately, I ended up watching a movie and a previously recorded episode of another TV show. I could have used the time in a more glorifying way for God, but I'll learn from this experience.

For these past few days, I've been getting more distracted during my time with the Lord. In Isaiah, I'd have to re-read certain verses multiple times so they would register in my mind. It takes up more time, but I don't mind because I learn and practice patience. This morning, I read Isaiah 53 and wow did some of the stuff feel overwhelming! It's always a pleasure to read about Jesus in the Old Testament but to hear God talk about His servant (aka Jesus) and his death with perfection just blew my mind. I was already overjoyed halfway through the chapter! I had to take several pauses after certain verses to take a breather and to soak up its fullness. These are some powerful phrases that I read: "and with his wounds we are healed", "yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter", "although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth", "and he shall bear their iniquities", "yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." The amazing thing is that God said these words through Isaiah centuries before Jesus was known!

I love reading the New Testament after knowing some of the prophecies in the Old Testament. Whenever I see a connection, I humble myself even more to God. I reviewed some of Philippians and Colossians and I'm currently on 2 Corinthians. With a lot of rich stuff in 2 Corinthians, it's really hard to pick and choose verses to talk about.Though, I could never read enough of 2 Cor 5:20, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God," aka Chi Alpha's motto.

Also, I started to read The Glorious Pursuit again. Anthony asked a couple people if we wanted to read some books over break and I accepted. Except, that was back in December for winter break. In May, I jokingly promised to Anthony (is that even wise?) that I'd read and finish the book this summer. So far it's been really wonderful, so wonderful that I've started taking notes. About 8 pages (super small notebook!) of notes in 3 chapters. I'm determined to finish it before my arrival to Blacksburg.

I also have another book that is waiting to be read. One reason that I don't read these books is because I couldn't find peace to read them. I thought that if I could spend some time reading any book, I would be better off reading God's word in the Bible itself. On Tuesday night though, I received that peace, started reading The Glorious Pursuit, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Currently learning about the virtues of Christ!

The album, onething LIVE: Magnificent Obsession, became available to purchase this Tuesday also. It contains a collection of songs recorded during IHOP's Onething conference in late December. I eagerly waited for this album even though the song that I hoped for was not included in the final tracklist. Still, the album contains great songs. More information about the album can actually be found on their website: http://www.ihopkc.org/music/albums/onething-live-magnificent-obsession/.

"There Is Only One" starts off with the words and image, "There He sits, upon a throne." Good enough song description already, right? The chorus expresses God's uniqueness and majesty when it says, "There is only One." Misty Edwards beautifully complements the chorus with the words, "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, the Lamb upon the throne, forever." I've always been a fan of Misty Edwards, her voice and talent, and how she uses those gifts to give glory to God!

Song: There Is Only One
Artist: IHOPKC Worship, Brandon Hampton & Misty Edwards
Album: onething LIVE: Magnificent Obsession

Lyrics: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ihopkc-fmg/chords-lyrics/magnificent-obsession/There+Is+Only+One-BHampton.pdf (Includes chords)

Did I tell you I'm a fan of Misty Edwards? Misty exhibits her songwriting ability in the song, "Measure of a Man." It's wonderful poetry about how a man's heart and love for Jesus should be used to describe him, or something like that. Even now, I still try to comprehend parts of the song, searching for a deeper meaning. David Brymer provides another voice in the song and the music. It's wonderful poetry about how a man's heart and love for Jesus should be used to describe him.

"The measure of a man is the measure of his heart.
The measure of a man is the measure of his love."

*I aim to pursue Jesus with earnestness that when people think of me, they think of Jesus-like virtues, not for popularity and boasting, but for the glory of God.

Song: Measure of a Man
Artist: Misty Edwards & David Brymer
Album: Measure of Love

Lyrics: http://www.ihopkc.org/music/files/2011/12/Measure-of-a-Man-Lyrics.pdf (Includes chords)

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. (2 Cor 2:14-16a)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

How Sweet The Sound

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:42:00 +0000

Hey guys, I went to a Loudoun Burn (26 Hour Regional Worship & Prayer) with Stephen this weekend and found about about this: David's Tent DC

It's a 24-7-40! Wow right?! Hours and hours of non-stop prayer, worship, God, intercession, etc, for 40 days (Sept 25 - Nov 6) and all of that..right by the White House! They're gonna need a lot of prayers, but God will find a way to provide!! I wanted to share this just in case some people may find interest. I think I'm gonna try to come but I need to pray about it first. I'll probably talk more about "David's Tent" in Aug/Sept. Watch the video and start praying to see if God wants you there!

If you wanna read about what I thought about the Loudoun Burn, you can read it here: http://psalm27four.blogspot.com/2012/07/explode-my-soul-explode-with-praise_22.html (It's a bit lengthy)

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Explode My Soul, Explode With Praise!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:34:00 +0000

Loudoun Burn: http://www.loudounburn24-7.com/2012/05/14/celebrate-1-year-of-loudoun-burns-july-20-to-21st/

I actually did not know what to expect at the Loudoun Burn. I went with Stephen on Friday night and Saturday night. He asked me on Thursday if I wanted to come. I told him yes but I needed to pray about it. I went to a NoVa HOP (House of Prayer) back in the winter so I was picturing "light worship with intercession in a small conference room". I decided to go because I thought the Lord was going to show me something there.

We arrived and my first thoughts spammed my mind. I don't want to exaggerate but the building was somewhat in the middle of nowhere. I was still thinking "small conference room". When I went inside, greeters welcomed us and found out there was an actual sanctuary there. There was a room for food/coffee also. It reminded me of Tried Stone back in Blacksburg!

We entered the sanctuary, found a place to sit, and talked to some of the people. The first worship team (CrossCurrent) was praying in the front. A good amount of people were already here. The band started playing a song..while everyone was still talking. I was unsure of what to do...people were still talking and the song was a bit rough. When the song ended, the pastor of the church (I think he was the pastor..) came up front and gave opening remarks and we prayed for the next 26 hours.

Those first two hours were worship-filled. The band played songs that I was familiar with, songs that I knew and listened regularly. With all of that, I still found time to sit and talk to the Lord during intercession. The last couple songs took me down memory lane, "Amazing Grace" and "All My Fountains".

"Amazing Grace" is pretty age-old song but it stands as one of my all-time favorite songs. I remember at Fall Retreat when they asked what song was the most recognizable or performed all time (I'm actually not exactly sure what the question was...and our group got it wrong!) and the answer was" Amazing Grace". I remember grace was the first (or one of the first) topics our small group covered back in the Fall. At that time, I didn't know much about how grace related to Christianity, and I thought it was just a prayer you say before you eat food. I didn't know the true definition of grace.

The first verse pretty speaks about what grace means to me.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound" -> It's a beautiful piece of music, in awe of the blend of the soothing harmonies that encompass the powerful melody.

"That saved a wretch like me" -> Before college, I was looking forward to not go to church and leave religion behind, back in Ashburn. To think that God would love and save someone with that intention in their mind....

"I once was lost , but now am found. Was blind, but now I see." I didn't think I was lost. I was blinded by the enemy, putting things of the world in my mind. Now, I see truth.

I like this version because of the end, where they repeat the statement: Praise God. It reminds me that we thank and praise the Lord for what He has done for us and that we give all glory to Him.

Song: Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
Artist: Chris Tomlin
Album: Passion: God of This City

- The video is a bit quiet, so you might have to increase volume.

"All My Fountains" was one of the songs that was played at Fall Retreat. It was so much fun! I remember the worship team had extra instruments and let a few of the crowd play them (I remember Jordan and Lindsay..I don't who the others were at that time). At that time, I didn't know how the lyrics related to God and I was just singing out loud and having fun. I didn't even know most of the lyrics of this song at first and then the band taught us the chorus of the song (and maybe more?). The people around me were filled with energy and jumping up and down and I didn't think that was weird. I did not know singing songs about God could be so much fun. I thought they were all played slow and boring. This song played a significant role that led to that worship playlist that Stephen created for me. The playlist that replaced the secular songs I would listen to daily. "All My Fountains" was one of the few songs that I remembered from that special weekend.

Song: All My Fountains
Artist: Chris Tomlin
Album: Passion - Here For You

Back to the Loudoun Burn:
Yea, the first worship team was pretty intense. Though, I did describe one of the singers as "crazy, but good crazy" because there were one or two point where he was so energetic that his guitar was off-note a bit. Crazy good because you could tell he was old but the Lord filled him up.

The second worship team was called "Miriam Morgan and band". Their style, compared to CrossCurrent, vastly differed. It was low energy and jazz-like, but that doesn't mean they did a horrible job. I still received from the Lord because the style allowed me to pray to Him. I was impressed with the pianist because she was also the singer. Basically, it confirmed that getting the piano keyboard was a good thing. Then one of the musicians took out a trumpet and started playing. I played one in high school, but I didn't really excel at it. I love listening to the sound of trumpet with a band. I haven't heard one in a while because not a lot of the worship and christian music that I listen to have it. It was good to see a trumpet play for God.

The Lord didn't reveal anything "big or spectacular" to me that night, but I did notice the many different flags on the ceiling and the faces on the walls. Gonna keep praying about international ministry...mhm.

The next day, the Lord told me there was more. So I asked Stephen if he was going to go again so I could tag along.

On Saturday night, we came during the 7-9pm session and the David Bradshaw and Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace worship team was there. Stephen knew them and even played their cd for the car ride there, but I had no clue who these guys were. This was the last session and there were so many people. It took a while for me to find a spot because people were standing and I wanted to pick a spot where I could move around but also, let others have space as well. Some words that describe the night: Intense worship, bold intercession, miraculous healing, holy ghost party... They first sang "My Soul Sings" and added IHOP's version in it, "It's just a little while longer and I'll see you..." and I loved it. After that, I didn't recognize the any of the songs, except part of "Holy Ghost Party", but it was still moving. Everyone started jumping and dancing took part in the room! They used some bible verses in their songs and I remember repeating, "Yes, my God will supply, according to His riches in Jesus Christ" (Philippians 4:19). They also used the melody from a Christmas hymn. During intercession, their background music really kept my mind working. I would sit down but then I'd want to stand up again. It was pretty catchy background music during intercession. The only complaint I had was that I couldn't really hear these prayers but then I remembered that we aren't really the audience; God is the audience. I wish they were on YouTube.. :(

And then they introduced us to David's Tent. 24 Hours, 7 days a week, for 40 days. September 25 to November 6. Full of worship and praying on the "White House Ellipse". Their goal is to get worship teams from all 50 states to come. They're trying to see if they could get this on a webstream and use media to spread this around. As always, they'll need funds. God will provide! I definitely need to pray about this. Is this where He wants me for one of the weekends? I'll find out soon.

Reference: Title of the post is from the song "Explode My Soul" by Jonathan Helser & Melissa Helser.

And I will lead the blind in a way they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:16)

-Spontaneous, with Purpose

Hallelujah! I'm Gonna Let My Voice Be Heard!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:37:00 +0000

A brief(er) post. I usually don't publish a new post a day after the previous one, and this is almost within 12 hours of the previous one....

On the previous post, I mentioned that Irene suggested that I listen to Jonathan David Helser. Well, technically she only asked if I've listened to his new album, On the Shores. I knew Jonathan David Helser and some of his songs from his other album, Long Story Short. On that note, "You're Never Giving Up" and "God of the Angel Armies" are just some of the great songs in that album. Yesterday, I was still stuck on a "Phil Wickham" craze. I was really unsure how long I would be stuck on Phil Wickham. Irene was the third person to suggest this album to me this year so I thought I would try it out.

"On The Shores" gave a good first impression. It's energetic and filled with joy and happiness. It actually reminded me of The Loft Sessions from Bethel Music and their style.

Song: On The Shores
Artist: Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser
Album: On The Shores

A video with lyrics!

"Love Song" also reminded me of The Loft Sessions.

Song: Love Song
Artist: Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser
Album: On The Shores

Lyrics: http://worshiprelease.com/category/jonathan-helser/page/2/ (Need to Scroll down)

I first heard "Wrecking Ball" when Jenna played it in the "upstairs Chi Alpha house". When I was listening to it again today, I smiled and let out a joyful laughter. I remembered that she described its lyrics: "These lyrics are fun and funny!"

Song: Wrecking Ball
Artist: Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser
Album: On The Shores

Oh what a wonderful lyric video....

Jonathan Helser isn't really well-known, compared to Hillsong or Chris Tomlin, so it took more time to search for some of their lyrics. It's a good thing God provides! I think someone mentioned that he came to Dwelling Place and led worship once two years ago? It's the church I go to in Christiansburg (Excited to see you guys soon in the August!). When I talked to someone in NoVa and he said he's heard of Jonathan David Helser, that really surprised me! He mentioned that he like his music because it was raw. I agreed with that. He uses few instruments in his songs, but at the same time, he doesn't take away too many instruments.

Today's ending bible verse is very special to me. I probably read it in the past and didn't think about while small group was reading through Exodus. It provides one of many descriptions of my testimony. I saw God's power and heart at work during Fall Retreat. I asked Stephen for a playlist of some of the songs that were played during that weekend. He couldn't remember all of the songs, but he added some extra songs to fill in. I don't know if I should describe that playlist as "steroids" but it did a superb job of keeping my mind on the Lord instead of the world and it is still a foundation of my faith. To wrap everything together, God's strength (power & heart) and song (worship playlist) has been leading me to salvation! God has truly been my song; secular music (Yes, secular music --> Inside joke w/ NoVa XA) is something that I rarely listen to. God's songs fill my ears and mind. Now, I praise and exalt him all the days of my life! =]

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God , and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2)

- Spontaneous, with Purpose

Let Heaven Fall, Like A Wrecking Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 05:04:00 +0000

Brief Post!

I was listening to Jon Thurlow's song "I Wanna Be The Good Soil" (found on youtube, but idk the song's actual name) and I sorto blanked out and listened to the spontaneous part. Basically, it says that God will show me that thing in my life that is keeping me or blocking me from Him. When I was listening to that over and over, I thought God revealed to me that thing that is keeping me from Him. So I prayed and asked Him how I could get rid of it. After that, I spent time in the word of God and waited for an answer

Tonight, it seemed that God would not allow me to get rid of this thing from my mind. So now I'm confused, but it's ok because I get to talk and pray to God more. Perhaps He was trying to teach me a lesson? Maybe he wanted to see me willing to give this thing up so I could be closer to Him? I'm sorry but I do have to keep the identity of "this thing" secret because it is somewhat personal.

Brief story on the birth of this topic:
I was listening to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXqzuZyI_gI (A live version of True Love by Phil Wickham) and I loved the ending, where he sings the chorus of "How Great Thou Art". Those endings just captivate my mind so easily. I wanted to hear another song that has that chorus in the end and I knew it was "How Great is Our God". I knew it would be tough to find and I knew this version is in Passion's 2004 album. So, I typed and searched "How Great is Our God passion". The first one that came up is the World Edition 2012 version and I remembered watching that online during the recent Passion Conference.

I know that God is leading me towards International ministry somehow, so I thought I'd listen to it. I wasn't expecting much since there would be parts where they would sing in different languages. Oh boy was I wrong...

When the English stopped, I felt "turned off" for a second. After that second, I really got tuned into the song. It was as if I could understand the languages. Then I remembered, that we one body in Christ (Romans 12:5). Language barriers are obsolete when worshiping God because, though we show and say it in a different way, we still know that we're giving praise and glory to God.

The last scene really touched me. I believe it was sung in Mandarin and then I would assume that the person is in China. It touched me because it reminded me of places where people are persecuted for following Jesus, such as China and places in Africa. When you meet people that live in those areas who say that they follow Jesus, you know that they truly follow Christ because they can die for that. They fully entrust their souls to God (1 Peter 4:19) knowing that if they will glorify God if they suffer (1 Peter 4:16).

The song even got me more pumped up about international ministry and evangelism! Sure, I do have some anxiety, but there's Jesus for that. For I am equipped with a powerful sword - Ephesians 6:17 - that the Lord provides! Hah, the Lord even gave me some tips and confidence this summer!

Colossians 4:5-6...

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

That'll soon be a favorite verse in the future!

Song: How Great Is Our God (World Edition)
Artist: Chris Tomlin (&World!!)
Album:

The song itself is special, but the video adds an extra level of emotion!

Also, if you visit this webpage - To Jonathan David Helser's Website! - listen to the music player on the webpage. They came out with a new album and it's really great! (Thank you Irene for this suggestion! =])

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, not be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17)

- Spontaneous, with Purpose

I Want To Reflect The Light That Shines From You

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000

So today marks the one-month anniversary of this blog! I can't believe that I've been doing this consistently. I feared that perhaps I'd have a sugar rush with this and then I'd stop typing and the blog would die away. It's probably Jesus, so thank you Jesus! Though, when Fall 2012 starts, I'm not sure how consistent I'll be, but there's Jesus for that!

NoVa XA had a dinner+movie Saturday night! Food was amazing, as always. It was a team effort right? I was hoping to see some non XA people to come. I assumed they were "regulars" because when I came to my first Summer XA Bible study, it seemed like it was not the first time for them. When they didn't come, I was bummed. (I hope I didn't offend them when I "preached" about secular music. Oops.) At some point in the night, I realized that this was Nova XA, made to help those in Chi Alpha to be consistent with the Lord during the summer! I'm not saying that it should be restricted to only Chi Alpha. It's good to talk about Jesus with fellow believers from their viewpoint and share thoughts. Jordan was able to come and it was great to see another fellow bible study brother!

I've been reading Isaiah in July and it's been fruitful. Of course, I know that I will have to re-read the book because I know I missed some things, especially in the beginning. Isn't it wonderful to know that God will always be stable in our lives, providing wisdom and strength of salvation by fearing Him (Isaiah 33:6)? I brought up the topic of "Fearing the Lord" on Thursday night. How does one truly fear the Lord, especially in 2012?

After I watched Father of Lights, I read more about the film on its website. The first paragraph mentions and connects the two other movies in the trilogy, Finger of God and Furious Love, to Father of Lights. It says that the first two movies were about God's power and love, while Father of Lights is about God's heart. When I read that, I was astounded. Then, I thought about how God's heart applied to Father of Lights and I quickly found that I couldn't just isolate God's heart: God's power and love applies to where his heart is. In SICM, we learned about the attributes of God. We don't deal with one attribute one-at-a-time and love isn't his main attribute, where others are secondary. All of his attributes are there all the time, in all that he does! (Inside joke: recycling is good.)

I was obsessed with Bethel Music for about two weeks, but now I have a Phil Wickham craze. It started Friday haha. I kept replaying "True Love" after Wednesday and I eventually explored his other albums, Response and Heaven and Earth. I went on Grooveshark and listened to Response first. I had to rearrange the songs in the correct order that the actual album has it in so that was already a bad first impression. When I listened to the first song, "Heaven Fall Down," it wiped out that bad first impression. After that, I kept on liking song after song. When I tried out Heaven and Earth, I continued liking song after song.. Picking three songs from these two albums was tough, so I recommend listening to all of the songs in both albums! haha!

I chose "The Time is Now" because it was earhappy! I think I have a weakness for string instruments, such as the violin, because they grabbed my attention and they are beautiful. When I listen to this song, I hear peace and harmony, along with joy and light. I see white doves flying over a land in bright sunlight with green grass and trees. In addition, Isaiah 11:6-9 and 32:17.

"Sisters, Brothers, thieves, and lovers,
Come on, come on, eternity
Turn your faces, with fine eyed places,
Heaven's grace will set you free."

I like that part because this peace and harmony is not only limited to those who love Christ when it mentions "thieves". When Jesus lived, he spent most of time with sinners or those who reject God so that they may receive salvation. When Christ died, he gave us the opportunity to receive adoption as sons of God (Gal 4:5).

Song: The Time is Now

Album: Heaven and Earth

Artist: Phil Wickham

Lyrics: http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/lyricsdetail.php?lyrics_id=65475 <-- I believe it's also a christian-themed website!

This next song also has strings that grabbed my attention..Cielo means heaven in Spanish and Italian. Phil Wickham says, "The lyrics describe a man waking up in heaven, seeing God and being overwhelmed along with light and beauty of the place." I also picture peace and harmony here, like in "The Time is Now", but more in slow-motion. In slow motion, I can take time to truly gaze the beauty on this land and be thankful of the wonderful scenes and give glory to God.

"And I can’t lift my hands high enough, lift my hands high enough

When I’m reaching for You my God"

I pictured a child attempting to try his best to reach for his or her beloved cookie jar that's on top of a cabinet. That cookie jar is what the child wants the most and at the same time, God is what we're reaching for. We keep on trying to reach and reach because we know if we keep reaching, we'll be able to get what we desire in our hearts, which is God! Yes, I'm comparing a cookie jar to God...

Song: Cielo

Album: Heaven and Earth

Artist: Phil Wickham

Lyrics: http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/lyricsdetail.php?lyrics_id=65482

"If You are the sun

Then I wanna be the moon

I want to reflect the light

That shines from You"

Talk about a first impression. I love this. And then it continues:

"And if this is war

Then I'm gonna draw my sword

This time I know what I'm fighting for"

Those words blew my mind... Beautiful words. Astronomy and its mysteries always interested me ever since I was little child. Elegant and beautiful describe the wonderful poetry in this song...

Song: Sun and Moon

Album: Response

Artist: Phil Wickham

Lyrics: http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/lyricsdetail.php?lyrics_id=73502

Another thought: I always thought Chris Tomlin sang "At Your Name" but I found out on Friday that Phil sings it...

I just love how our Lord is the ultimate king, one who we can depend on and trust, one who will cover and protect us from the evils of the world, one who loves, and one who gives grace.

For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us. (Isaiah 33:22)

- Being Spontaneous, with Purpose

Everything Good Comes From You, Father Of Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 02:29:00 +0000

Hello, Good evening!

These past few days have been phenomenal and fruitful! Continuous thirst for Him, truly at the center of my gaze, describes them. I feel the Lord preparing my heart for the upcoming year at Virginia Tech. He's really been revealing to me his teachings in the Bible like never before, as I read Isaiah and Paul's and Peter's letters. I just see a lot more passages that stand out to me that I thought had nothing in them. Like in Jesus Culture's "Awaken Me", He has given me eyes to see and ears to hear. Of course, I still have many things that I wish to improve on, but right now, I am just very thankful of the Lord.

After I'm done reading Isaiah for the day, I go on to the New Testament. Lately, there's this one concept that has been sticking out to me: Give thanks to God. Though some may overlook this concept in the Word, I believe it is an important one. It is a way to love others, by showing appreciation to them. In most of Paul's letters to the churches, he often starts out by giving thanks to the Lord. God has done marvelous things in my life and without Him, I would be a different person, perhaps living a life of darkness. I'm very thankful that He introduced me to a great community with amazing people and I accepted it and ran with it. On twitter (@romac17), I see various athletes thanking God every day and that definitely brightens my day. Give thanks to others and God in prayer, worship, with love, always!

I received a text from Jenna at around 10 pm on Sunday notifying me of a 'free' movie on betheltv about God. I was praying during the weekend, and she was one of many people in my mind that I prayed for. When I got the text, I felt excited, but at the same time, perplexed. I usually don't get texts at night and I was actually about to call it a night early. It was a "free" movie about God on betheltv, I couldn't resist. BethelMusic has been my seasonal favorite music recently. Then, I found out the movie was called Father of Lights, the 3rd movie to Finger of God and Furious Love.

I probably smiled the entire movie. Seeing God's heart, love, and power in action filled me with happiness and joy. I could relate to most of the situations on the film. My favorite part was when they went to Chicago and talk to gang members of the "Latin Kings." I spent about 11 years of my childhood in Chicago or around the area. I had little fear when I was a child; I didn't know what to fear. Sometimes when I visit, gangs have always been in the back of my mind. The way God touched Sam put joy in my heart. He's a light shining in Chicago. Sam mentioned blasting Christian music in his car and crying for Jesus. I wept when I first felt God's presence during VTXA's Fall retreat and afterwards, I favored Christian music over all my secular music.

Here's a funny part: They're talking to the wife of a "witch doctor" and they both have a sense of confusion.
"Can I pray for you?"
"No, I don't want you to pray for me."
-Pauses-
"Father, in Jesus name, I pray that you release this now!"

The last thing I would like to mention about the movie happens towards the end of it, their journey to the Dome of the Rock. Earlier that night, I was talking to Stephen about speaking to Muslims about Jesus. Recall that from SICM, I believe that God has called me into International ministry. Seeing God work through Todd White in the Muslim section in Israel filled me with awe. All he did was love people and that lead the team to their goal: The Dome of the Rock. As Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26).

Overall, Father of Lights was very encouraging for me. It's another way that the Lord uses to prepare my heart for the Fall. I actually wished I was down at Blacksburg right now to talk to the upcoming freshman at their orientation! But I must be patient. I thought Jenna's text was a text from God. Remember, I was about to go to bed and I had no communication from her in about a week. Still, I watched that film and stayed up for about 2 more hours and I did not get sleepy at all.

Since the movie is called "Father of Lights", I thought this would be fitting..haha. The song is actually played in the end of the movie. There's other great songs in that album as well.

"Everything good comes from you, Father of Lights..."

Song: Father Of Lights
Album: Awakening: Live from Chicago
Artist: Jesus Culture

Now, wayyyy back, I mentioned that something I wanted to learn more about during the summer was love. I listened to True Love a few days ago and it reminded me of that early summer goal. Sometimes, I wonder about the "one", that future spouse in my life, as my true love (I also need to really be patient about that haha). Well, she will be someone that I will love for sure, but True Love is Jesus. When he sings, "Jesus is alive" over and over...I'm just listening in awe, gazing at Jesus. I'm pretty sure (I have sources!) that this song was also played at Fall Retreat at VTXA's 2011 Fall retreat. Every time I listen to it, I like the song even moreee.

"Come close...listen to the story..."
"Lose your life just so you can find it"

Song: True Love
Album: Cannons
Artist: Phil Wickham

Starts at ~1:22

Here's the cd version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sonjpHbeDQ

"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful" (Col 3:14-15)

- Being Spontaneous, with Purpose

The Good From The Unexpected

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 20:36:00 +0000

The Loft Sessions

I'm shocked that it's been growing on me. I first listened to it on Monday nothing really stood out to me. It sounded dull and average, nothing impressive, compared to Bethel's Be Lifted High album and other songs I've been listening to.

On Tuesday, I started to listen to some of the songs individually. I was listening to Closer by Steffany Frizzell and I decided to listen to You Know Me since iTunes said it was popular and it's the same singer. Okay, I thought it was pretty good. Then I listened to Fall Afresh and I also thought it was good. Listened to the other songs; basically, I listened to Bethel all day long. Later that day, I began to appreciate the acoustic style of the songs.

It came out near the end of January, 5 months ago. Why am I just listening to it? Well, I remember Stephen mentioning Bethel's new album in January - February. That's probably the only time I've heard it being mentioned during Spring semester. I haven't heard the term "Loft Sessions" until Saturday night - Sunday. Sunday morning, I visited Stephen's church again and someone recommended that album to me. I am very thankful for that person.

It's great work, some words that I use describe it: Peace, Serene, Soothing, Beautiful, Lovely. =)

Song: You Know Me (feat. Steffany Frizzell)
Album: The Loft Sessions
Artist: Bethel Music

Jeremy Riddle released his album Furious, which already included Fall Afresh in it. It's just in a different key in the Loft Sessions!

Song: Fall Afresh (feat. Jeremy Riddle)
Abum: The Loft Sessions
Artist: Bethel Music

Thank you, and Happy 4th of July!

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor 3:17)

- Being Spontaneous, with Purpose

This is A Return, Back To Life

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:54:00 +0000

Short story: June 30th was one day that felt like a 5-day conference. It was filled with learning, revelations and excitement!

But long story is better. =)

Intro: The only reason I wanted to go to Blacksburg on Saturday was because there was going to be "Going-Away" party for Jason and Caysie, posted by Michelle on June 24th. I really wanted to be there for them, but I thought it would be a difficult, almost impossible task. But it happened. I was able to be there on June 30th. I asked around some people in NoVa to see if they wanted to come with me. I eventually found out about the Megabus and it would cost at least $54 (including the return trip) and I was prepared to spend that. Earlier that week, Stephen knew something was bothering me and kept texting me. I tried to hide from him because I did not really want to talk. Remember, I was morphing back into an introvert (not that it's bad, it's just a different side of me). Though, I did ask him if he was going to Blacksburg this weekend. And he responded, "That's a strange request." I kept to myself for a few days, but I knew deep inside that we needed to skype and I need to spill out my thoughts. While doing that, I found out he was going down there for his friend's bachelor party. I asked if I could join and he said yes.

Storm? The drive was great, his friend Matt came along also. I met him earlier in the semester. Weather was fine for about 3/4 of the way down. Then we got gas. On our way back to the highway, we saw a bunch of flying dirt and dust and we found ourselves in a storm. Matt mentioned about a tree falling down on the highway. A few minutes later, there was traffic. Luckily, we were close to the beginning of the traffic so we got out fast. A tree ended up taking up the right lane. We saw that the weather was getting pretty rough. I actually couldn't tell if Stephen was being serious or joking about being worried. Though, Stephen initiated to pray for safety, guidance and protection from the Lord. The weather was weird. All my phone said was a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. Before the trip, I did not see any concern for strong weather on Friday night. This caught us off guard. I never realized how strong wind could be in person. Stephen continued to drive and we saw a orange construction cone bouncing left to right in front of us. It was close to a cylinder. Either it dodge us, or we dodged it. But somehow, it bounced back to us and hit the car. Stephen said that it was a good thing that it did not hit the windshield. We were driving about 70mph and he was sure that the cone would have destroyed the windshield. #PTL. When we got to Blacksburg, it was a bit messy. Tree branches covered parts of the road. I did feel a sense of peace and quietness as we passed by Lane Stadium. However, when Stephen got to Washington Street, where the Chi Alpha house is located, I did not noticed this, but it was dark. During the week, I was thinking about how the Chi Alpha house would be when I arrived. The image included all the lights turned on, I'd open the door and I would see a bunch of people there. They would say Hi!!! or Romico?!!?! What are you doing here?? Maybe there could be a random social event that night. But what actually happened was almost the opposite. When I saw the house, it was pitch black. No lights on. That caught me off guard. I thought that either everyone was away from the house or everyone was sleeping. Thankfully, there was a car parked and there was someone actually in it! It happened to be Zach and he told me that the electricity was out. I didn't realize the severity of the storm until then. I thought about going to Torg Hall with Xikai but I was afraid that the electricity might go back on as soon as I leave. Unfortunately, it took 3 hours for it to come back and it was about past midnight. I read one of Isaac's posts on facebook and he mentioned "Tornado..." I was really fortunate to be in a safe place during this storm. Christiansburg is about 15-20(?) minutes away. That's how Blacksburg greeted me that night. I say, "Nice to see you again".

June 30th. I woke up pretty early, read the Bible, spent some time with the Lord, and ran an errand. Apparently, the storm was so strong that the the Saladino's house did not have electricity or water(location of barbecue). They texted Sara and she told us the location changed to the Chi Alpha house. The living room was somewhat messy, but I promised her that we'll be prepared. I started reading Isaiah, starting at Chapter 1. He talked about the wickedness of sinful people and unfaithfulness. I then realized that I fulfilled that description as well. I wasn't truly living for the Lord for these past few weeks consistently. That's one thing the Lord revealed to me.

Preparation. One of my goals was to play with the kids so they would be comfortable with me. I thought I'd try Ethan, but I was with Micah the most. He helped us clean up the sticks in the yard. Micah was all over the place, picking up small sticks and big sticks. I saw him carry sticks that were twice his size with ease. He said that he was stronger than me... We threw around a lot walnuts (he called them apples!) afterwards. Endless energy. I kept my eye on him while Anthony and Michelle were preparing the food and presentation. Hanging out with Micah was absolutely one of my many highlights of the weekend. Ethan was cute too hah!

Barbecue. Food was unbelievable. Enough said. People said I looked different. Well, I had new glasses, a new shirt, and maybe my hair was different. Good stuff. Had a good time catching up with some people. When Jason and Caysie arrived, I was just really happy. Words of Life was great. Looking forward to Anthony's manual to Words of Life. I will truly miss them and what they provided to VTXA during their tenure here. Now, I have to pray for support so I can see them again at the World Mission's Summit! Afterwards, the group prayed for Jason and Caysie. This is where the Lord revealed to me my inconsistent faith. I had a difficult time praying because I had not done group prayers in a long, long time, I didnt know what to really do. It's hard to describe but I think I lost my "rhythm", if that makes sense. Then Katie found out that I've not been going to Summer XA at NoVa. I got a mouthful from her, and I promised her that I would go.

Afternoon. After the Barbecue, I practically begged for something to do for the rest of the day. I didn't know if I wanted to leave at 9pm with Stephen or tomorrow on a Megabus. If I was leaving at 9pm, I didnt want to waste my time at Blacksburg. Katie said she would text me later in the day. So, I stayed at the Chi Alpha and rested. The heat made me tired and I took somewhat of a mini-nap.

Competition Night. Food was incredible. Only complaint is that Irene didn't eat enough rice. But she did bring awesome grapes. Enough said. Before food, we talked about me. Basically I think I'll stop looking for a summer job. Bret told me to write down some goals. 1. Get my driver's license. No more looking for a job means I have to get something accomplished.... 2. Summer Nova XA. I think that's it. Then, Bret thought that Jonah was more than 4 chapters and two pages, which is what I said. Katie opened up my Bible to Jonah and I was right. Then, Irene said that my handwriting was good and better than hers. Irene, you will always have better handwriting than me. Later that night, we played Catchphrase. Weaver has a competitive side..did you know that? We played without the luxury of pressing "Next". Bret/Elena/Katie/Isaac vs Irene/Me/Ryan/Audra. Bret was confident in his team so Ryan said, "If we win, it would be like David vs Goliath." I'm pretty sure we won 2x in a row. I thought Audra was the MVP! Family was the next game. How did Irene guess I was Cinderella? That was the 2nd time she guessed me in one try..! =) Unfortunately I accidently said her name (the one she put on the paper) and she somewhat screamed. Basically Elena took us next. It was my fault since I didn't really feel like walking to the kitchen to "strategize" so early in the game. I regret that! We played catchphrase again without Isaac and Audra. Our team was almost unstoppable. And then it was time for pick-up.

RealityCheck. Before pick-up, Ryan stopped a limping man. We stopped the game and Ryan got up and attempted to talk to him. Ryan came back and he said that he wouldn't let him pray he did all he could. Then Ryan said, "We're back to reality." At first, I thought he meant "back to catchphrase" but then I realized that he meant that Jesus saves and spiritual warfare still lurks around. It got a bit too competitive for all of us, if not, me.

PickUp. I dreaded this time. It marked the time for departure. Stephen and Matt had arrived.

Back To NoVa. I let everything sink in for about an hour or so. I didn't really say much for that time. I was just filled with joy as I smiled for that hour. I just reflected on what happened that day. I almost fell asleep in the beginning but Matt and Stephen talked about great topics and debated.

Reflection/Car Ride: This had to be a special God moment. Similar to how God placed Stephen in my life as my RA, who lived about 5 minutes away from my home, I felt like God knew I needed to be at Blacksburg. Friday night - June 30th was a blast. The third thing that God revealed to me is the importance of community. The amount of love I received was phenomenal. He reminded me of the excitement and joy I experienced with people that I love. I am very thankful for this opportunity. I recall that the reason I wanted to go to Blacksburg was for Jason and Caysie. I was determined to show them how much grateful I am for them to be part of my life. I wasn't looking for a reward, but God rewarded me. Even though he hasn't been consistently the center of my life all summer long, He rewards me with a day of learning, revelations and joy. I kept on turning back from his outstretched arm, but he continued to extend it for me! That is true Love. My goals for the day: Hang out with the kids, Ethan and Micah, catch up with the Blacksburg community, talk to Jason and Caysie, talk to Irene and Rachel, and see good ol' John Rob. I'd say that I achieved them. Later, I desired to go to NoVa Summer XA.

Home. I got back home at around 1:30-ish AM. I wasn't really tired and I went on Facebook and thanked someone, I asked Rachel (a different Rachel from before) if she could pick me up for NoVa Summer XA on Thursday nights, and I probably posted something on my wall too.

To Irene, Elena, Katie, Bret, Ryan: Yes, I heard Stephen preach Sunday morning, with about 5 hours of sleep. Though, the audience was mainly the youth (Elementary to High school), I still related to it. He talked about the return of Jesus (1 Thes 4:16-18). He mentioned middle school crushes and how we're filled with excitement and jubilation when we see them. Then he took that excitement and jubilation and said that this is what we should feel when we talk and think about Jesus, and eventually, see Jesus! He also mentioned marriage and our desire for that in the future. Sometimes, we obsess about that more than Jesus. He ties that in to Revelation 22:17 and that marriage is what we should long for. We should long for Christ because our hope is for his return, eternity with Christ is forever. Yup.

To my UVA fans, sorry to disappoint, but VT came back as my favored community now!

Irene, a great friend of mine, recommended this song to me a week ago. Unfortunately, I purposely ignored her and did not respond to her message and I apologize. "Your love has ravished my heart; all I want is to be, with you forever.." I loved that part in the beginning. When she started singing, the atmosphere in my room was completely changed. I felt a presence that I haven't felt this strong in a long time, possibly comparable to the worship during VTXA's Fall Retreat. <-- And that was special. Sensations covered my mind and body... Bethel Live provides its outstanding lyrics in the video which makes it easier to get lost in the lyrics! Bethel has also been my recent "go-to" artist these past few days, specifically the album "Be Lifted High".

"So pull me a little closer, take me a little deeper, I want to know Your heart, I want to know Your heart."

Song: Closer

Artist: Steffany Frizzell

Jon Thurlow's songs are amazing. I'm obviously a fan. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Song: Strong Love
Artist: Jon Thurlow

Last note: The title of this post is from the song "Oh, Great God of Love" by David Crowder Band.

James 1:2-4 has always been one of my favorite verses. I love the NIV version:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

- Being Spontaneous, with Purpose

With Humble Hearts, Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 04:23:00 +0000

Two of VTXA's beloved staff members, Jason and Caysie, will not be in Blacksburg this fall. They will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma instead!

Jason and Caysie,

This may be the end of the chapter, but a new one is coming up for you. I cannot completely summarize your two years here at VT because I've only been here for one year! When I read Jason's post, I was devastated. I always dislike it when leaders in my life, people I look up to, leave me. I won't know exactly how it will feel until Fall 2012 starts. So when I read Michelle's post on the Chi Alpha facebook page, it was clear to me: I have to find a way to Blacksburg for that Saturday. Like Michelle said, "The Bible says to give honor where honor is due." --> And it is due! I found out Stephen was going to Blacksburg that Saturday as well, and I told him about the barbecue and he found a way to be there too.

The small things that you do are just incredible. To start, I've heard about the projector stand and table that Jason provided and it was done in a snap. Something small that I have regretted forgetting was what you did during football games. For homes games, you sacrificed your Saturday to host and take care of those who did not have tickets to the football games. As a first year student, I did not have great luck with the lottery system so I found myself continuously walking to the Chi Alpha house for those Saturdays. You often provided food, such as hotdogs and hamburgers and there was never and short supply of food. Personally, I believe that was major part that contributed to my journey to God. I continued to stay with Chi Alpha and mesh with the community. It was a great positive experience for me, who was not a true Christ follower during those times. A time where, I was very open for experiencing other things, things of the flesh and world. I know you played a big part for our Worship Band. You set an example for me of a servant's heart. I was able to participate during tear down after W&W most of the time. I would often wait for your guidance and sometimes try to learn how it all fits in but I thought I could do that next Fall! I don't know what we'll do but God provides. Caysie is always someone easy to talk to. We would always see each other in the back of the chapel during Word and Worship. I remember that I'd be distracted sometimes because you would bring in food, like Subway because you haven't had dinner yet, at 8pm. I often forget that you were a graduate student but still contributed to Chi Alpha while on staff! Congratulations for graduating! When do you not smile? I see it on you all the time!

During Word and Worship, you both usually did announcements and it was done well. You both also organized rides to Dwelling Place almost every Sunday morning. Because of that, I now know of a great community and church. Your prayer lives are amazing. The only time I could go to prayer meetings 2nd semester was on Tuesday and Jason would often spend a good chunk of time praying for our campus and Chi Alpha, similar to what Bret said on Saturday. I remember the one time, late Spring semester where I was really sick. That was the Sunday where I had to sit during worship because I couldn't get my body to stand without discomfort. The rides became uneven and you both made a return trip for me. During the car ride, your charisma provided encouragement for me and kept my spirit well. Your passions for the outdoors are unique. Unfortunately, I could not experience the camping trip this Spring to see them in person! I'm pretty sure there's more memorable things that you both contributed to us that I can't remember, but it's ok because of God. (Matthew 6:1)

Now, we'll always have a part of the Razorbacks and Cowboys in our hearts! Hopefully, I'll see you two at the World Mission's Summit! I pray for continuous blessings and for a loving community that can surround them in Oklahoma! God Bless your future endeavors!

Trustworthy, Reliable, with Humble Hearts.

"Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." (Romans 13:7)

- Thank you,
Romico

- Being Spontaneous, with Purpose