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LOVE THIS =D

(Source: wwilltsangg, via woahhitsdavid)

When people tell you something for so long, you start to believe it. Ray, you’re great. Ray, you’re amazing. Ray, you’re awesome.

I used to think that I could reach a point at which I could say that God transformed me, I eventually got my life in order, and I went out and lived the rest of my days in complete service to God. And I guess I felt that it was what God intended for everyone to eventually do.

But lately I’ve learned that it’s not that easy. Everyone needs time to grow in their faith. Everyone needs time to discover for themselves what they believe. I need time too; there are still days when I have to stop myself and think, “Is this really what I’m doing?” But I suppose it’s good that we try. It’s good that we admit we don’t have it together, that we still need to learn more in order to understand fully who God is and who God is calling us to be.

I’m not any better than anyone else. I’m just a little kid, trying to find out what I want to do. Sure, I guess I’m serving God along the way. But maybe life won’t completely settle itself down until the very day we meet God face to face.

I need encouragement just as much as anyone else. It’s funny how the people who encourage me the most are the ones who literally gave their lives up for God. Oh, Tico. Where are you right now? Are you up there watching over me? Are you rooting for me? I hope I’m doing this right. I hope you’re smiling down on me. I won’t let you down. Or at least, I’ll try not to.

nyuaacf:

Tomorrow’s speaker, Rocky Chan, speaking giving a message about ‘Joy Giving in Painful Times’

(via nyuaacf-deactivated20120507)

So I was just standing in line with a bunch of fellow chicken and rice goers. One said into his phone, “Steve Jobs died?” Naturally we all reacted, but it turned out to be a joke. One of the women said, “Well, he’s the prime example of the fact that you can’t take it all with you. You can be a billionaire, but in the end, everyone ends up the same.” It’s true. All the things we gain, the money, the friendships, the careers - we can’t take any of it with us into death. Is it all meaningless, then? Are we just prolonging the inevitable?

I guess this is why I want to believe that something else is waiting for me on the other side, something better. But although ideally heaven is waiting for everyone, we then have to reconcile the idea of Hitler or Bin Laden going there as well. If there is a reward after death, it comes at a price. It demands something of us.

Hi guys. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my latest song, “Tico’s Song” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cLnaX95-RY The lyrics are very personal, and yet relatable at the same time. A paragraph explanation of the friendship between Josh (Tico) Kim and me isn’t really necessary, though, because a simple analysis of the lyrics will do.

The page unfolds the younger days
When you and I were trying to find our way (Josh and I would frequently talk about how unsure we were of our futures, given that we didn’t really have any solid interests or passions)
We dug much deeper than humans would
Admitting that the best of us never could (While trying to figure out ourselves, we had to come into the understanding that not everyone in this world has and will)
Then we realized when we joined this race
That someone else would help us reach that place (This is where God comes into the picture, a God who gives us a purpose and a plan for our lives)

A grief observed (loose reference to a C.S. Lewis book) the shattered cry
Might the world turn back its time?
If you came down, fell from the sky
Through the tears we shed we’d listen as you tell us
What home looks like, what home looks like (No, the concept of a person coming back from heaven is not meant to be taken as an literal desire or expectation; however, the value in the chorus is found in the sense that we spend our time looking heavenward, and to even catch a glimpse of the end goal, the prize awaiting us is enough to motivate us to continue on.)

We read those tales of life when wars are won (This goes along with the idea of looking forward to heaven)
Of mice and men (One major theme of the book “Of Mice and Men” is loneliness, which Josh and I would talk about extensively) and prodigals on the run (A reference to the story of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15)
And though the compass pointed freedom from chains
The bearings showed the heartache still remained (Even though Christianity offers freedom from spiritual death, as long as we’re here on this earth we’ll still experience pain because of the effects of sin)
And because this pain was our world’s to own (We are responsible for the pain brought to this earth)
We vowed to pay the price to bring them home (The beauty of what God has called us to do in spreading the gospel is that we can relate to the pain of others through compassion)

Watch the plans and dreams unravel themselves
We knew they could end, but there was no way to tell (Life is so fleeting; Josh was set to go to Boston for college, but he never did)
If not the chance to see the crowns prepared
We’ll finish our work and meet you there (Even if we are unable to see a glimpse of heaven as described in the chorus, we still have work to do as long as we’re still alive)

I don’t know where you are in Ecuador right now, but I hope they find you soon. You need to come back so that you can tell me stories of your time there. You need to come back so that you can come to Berklee and we can hang out on the East Coast. You need to come back so that I can hug you one more time.

Many know of all the crazy things that have happened to me this summer. I’ve been left torn, bruised, broken, but alive.

I could write an entire book on my thoughts. All I know now is this:

The only life worth living for me right now is one in full surrender to God and to others. But it’s not even that it’s worth it, it’s the only thing I have left.

overthestreet:

GLEE LIVE 2011 VIP PACKAGE BINDER GIVEAWAY!!!

here are the rules:

• you need to REBLOG this post, if you just like it your entry will not be counted.
• you don’t need to follow me to be entered in the contest, i mean you can if you want to but i won’t be checking (mostly because i’m really lazy).
• only ONE entry per person, don’t waste your time by reblogging it twice, your name won’t be put into the contest twice. I want it to be just and this is why you can only reblog once.
• you can enter from everywhere in the world, if you win, i will contact you by ask box (and say so on tumblr) and you can just send me your address and i will ship it to you.
• the contest will be completely random, i will write the names on tiny papers, put them in a hat/box/bowl/whatever and pick out one.
• GOOD LUCK :)

You have until Thursday June 16th at 8 pm EST to enter the contest!!!

(via oob1eck)

So I used to write poetry before I wrote songs. I eventually stopped, but I was thinking back on my old poems today and decided to share some! This is a poem that got onto the first page of a poetry book that my friend currently has right now and needs to give back to me.

Bike

Once
So long ago
Father bought me
The bike of Jesus Christ
Everyone misused it
And broke it to pieces
But three days later
Father fixed it
Now
Father teaches me
How to ride that bike
He runs alongside
To prevent a fall
And when I fell
I reached out my hand
Father lifted me up
And I would soar.