From the Positive Side

I love sunny mornings. I love sunny evenings. Yesterday as I was walking home and this morning as I walked to work, I suddenly appreciated how beautiful it was outside and how I privileged I am to be able to walk to work. Avoiding traffic on a daily basis is more than enough to be praising God every day. On these walks, I realized there is a freshness and a hope I perceive as the sun rises on the buildings and trees. And in the evening, it feels like a soft setting to the end of the day. As I think upon this now, it seems that I like it when the suns hits the buildings and trees at horizontal angle. Why do I react so strongly to the way the sun shines downs? I don't know. I guess it is just one of the mysterious ways that God speaks to my heart through nature.

Someday maybe I will let you in on my thoughts about trees. ;D

Psalm 148:1-6
1Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
2Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
3Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
4Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
5Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created.
6He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which will not pass away.

SJSU Leadership Today 2006 Retreat: Creating Community in a Diverse World

Here is something that will be sort of published in Campus Crusade for Christ Metro Team Newsletter. Maybe I will add more to it later but for now here is a quick blurb about LT 06.

So many words run threw my mind as I try to quickly give you a sense of why this retreat was so amazing. Genuine. Tears. Sobs. Compassion. Intense. Love. Laughter. Shock. Smiles. Transformation. Hope.

The fours days in Asilimar led us 37 SJSU students through various exercises, activities, and discussions that really brought into the light all the issues that relate to prejudice, privilege, racial/ethnic/cultural identities, segregation, gender, disabilities (including those not seen), and sexual orientation.

We often talk about the difference between knowing about God and experiencing God. For me, this retreat was similar in that though I have known about the challenges people face in this world, this was the first time I had an overwhelming sense of them. Through LT, I have been reminded that we are surrounded by people who are hurting and who need God’s unconditional love. It is time to step up and be the one to demonstrate it.

God is Sovereign

Every once in a while I meditate on the attributes of God as I learned them once in discipleship training: omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, righteous, sovereign, immutable, love, just, and veracity (absolute truth).

Last Thursday morning as I was reflecting during my quiet time, I began to realize that I had been living the last few days growing in anxiety about all the "stuff" that's going on in my life right now. This caused me to wonder why it was so overwhelming. I remembered a study I did on the attributes of God and it became clear to me that I had forgotten about the sovereignty of God. He is the King of this universe He created. Jesus is seated on His throne in all His majesty and glory. He is the King of my life. I don't need to worry about all the "stuff" in my life because He gives me everything I need: the air to breathe and the heart to believe.

"The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all" (Psalms 103:19, NASB).